Deja Vu
by ShyGemini2108
Summary: My first SwanQueen fiction. Completely AU, no magic. A lot of characters represented, but about Regina and Emma. Emma and Regina parted ways three years earlier, but are thrust back together in the most unusual way. Can a second chance at love survive broken hearts and secrets? Rate M for heavy subject matter, language and content.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

This was the easy part, Regina realized looking over the wine list. The five-hundred-dollar meal, the chitchat, the pretend dating; it was all the easy part. The girl, she could barely be over twenty-one by Regina's estimation, was beautiful. Dark smooth caramel skin, dark brown hair nearly to her waist and dark brown eyes. Mal had been right; it was all easier when she was thinking about …

"The rack of lamb is to die for," Regina blurted out. She was fairly certain that she had spent less than one percent of her life actually nervous about anything, but this evening folded itself into that one percent.

"I'm actually a vegetarian," the girl offered a tiny smile.

Regina grasped at her water glass, took a tiny sip, and breathed out roughly.

"Listen, Ms. Mills…"

"Please, call me Regina," Regina corrected the girl.

"Regina," she smiled brightly. She was truly attractive in a way most people would have appreciated. There wasn't one man, or more than a few women, that hadn't given the girl the proper assessment as they entered the restaurant. Of course, she and Regina appeared to be on a casual business meeting instead of a real date. But that was fair; in a lot of ways, they were on a business arrangement.

"Regina," the girl began again. "We have six hours together," she said cautiously. "You and I have very few illusions about where this all ends. Mal has given me very strict instructions. Do exactly what you say, how you say it…You don't have to provide me with dinner. If it's easier, we can retire to your hotel room and begin."

Regina swallowed, never removing her eyes from the menu. "I believe we should have dinner first…" when the girl said nothing, Regina added, "And tell me about yourself." When she hesitated, Regina assured her. "Not to pry…"

"No," she shook her head. "It's perfectly okay," she assured Regina. "As you know; I'm Lucy and I'm twenty-three years old. I just finished my degree in philosophy from George Mason."

"Congratulations," Regina said automatically. Her thirty-six years suddenly felt strangling old. "May I ask you a question…it is somewhat personal…"

"You may ask anything you want," Lucy said openly.

"Mal…" Regina began, cocking a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"I don't seem like the high-end escort type?" Lucy smiled coyly.

Regina finally looked up. Lucy's smile created an unintended relaxation in Regina. "No, you don't."

"May I be blunt?" Lucy said watching a waiter fill her wine glass.

"I command it," Regina nodded slowly.

Lucy leaned across the small candlelit table to whisper. "The first time I made love to a woman; I was hooked. The way a woman feels, the way a woman smells, the way a woman reacts when I'm tonguing her clit…" she leaned back to her former position and grinned. "I was totally hooked…and then, when I realized I could be paid very well to do so…I really couldn't find a better career. Not to mention that Mal is a wonderful boss. There is something to be said about being exclusively for women," her eyes fluttered over Regina admiringly.

"So, I'm your prize?" Regina shifted her position. Lucy's lustful admiration had served its purpose.

"I'm here for you," Lucy said sipping her wine, then seductively licking the rim of the glass.

"I think we will be skipping dinner," Regina noted.

Two glasses of wine and thirty minutes later, Regina keyed the door of her hotel room, stepping aside to let Lucy enter first. It was a modest room, literally just enough for Regina to get through the night. She had flown in from Japan and although she was weary, horny was a better characterization of what she needed. Mal had never let her down, and delivering Lucy for the evening proved that her friend knew exactly what she had needed.

"Nice room," Lucy complimented, even though Regina knew she had seen better. The woman stopped in the middle of the floor and turned to look at her host.

"On the bed," Regina instructed softly. Lucy stepped out of her six-inch heels, making her and Regina's height more comparable. Then she turned and sat gracefully down on the king-sized bed in the center of the room. Regina smiled, approving of how obedient the woman was with her commands. "I have another question," Regina commented. She was now stripping away the expensive tennis bracelet that adorned her right wrist, and followed it by unlatching the Rolex that barely clung to her left wrist.

"Ask anything," Lucy suggested. She closed those long caramel legs easily and waited at attention for her question.

"How many woman have you been with since joining Mal's business?"

"There are not as many woman as there should be," Lucy admitted sadly. "But, three, including you. My other two are regulars…"

"And what do they like?" Regina questioned, stepping out of her pumps now, too.

Lucy's dark brown eyes glittered with humor and a slight tinge of lust. "It would be improper to discuss," she answered casually.

Regina regally took a seat in the large wing backed chair by the desk. "I don't know them," she coaxed easily.

Lucy thought about it for a moment. "That is true," she reasoned slowly. "But I know you expect the same discretion from me as they do…it would be impolite to share."

Regina starred at her quietly before pulling her perfectly tinted red bottom lip into her mouth. It was the right answer and she knew as much, which only made her want Lucy that much more. "Stand up and unbutton your blouse," she commanded softly. Lucy did as she was told, revealing a soft coral bra under the peach blouse that she had discarded. Her stomach lacked complete flatness, which Regina liked. "Now the skirt…" Lucy's thighs were full and her ass round and tight. Her lacy panties matched her bra, which was effort well spent, in Regina's opinion. She pushed herself back to the middle of the bed and Regina watched in slow appreciation. "How does your pussy feel?" Regina questioned.

"Wet, ever since you sat down across from me at dinner."

Regina smiled. "Take your bra off…" she began, but was interrupted by the buzz of her cell phone in her bag by the door. Regina looked over her shoulder in frustration. She figured it would quit ringing eventually. "Touch your breasts," she whispered, barely loud enough for herself to hear. Lucy put her finger in her mouth, took it out slowly and fingered her right nipple until it stood at attention. "Perfect," Regina squirmed, as Lucy repeated the task with her second breast. Once both nipples stood erect, she placed her middle finger in her mouth and traced a wet line from her mouth, to along her stomach, past her bellybutton ring, stopping just short of her panty line.

"It's throbbing, Regina," she said meekly. She moved to the edge of the bed. "Can I touch myself?"

Regina could feel her own sex beginning to tightened. "You can do whatever you like to yourself," Regina gave her full permission.

Lucy grinned and her middle finger slipped into her pussy as if by accident. She shuddered slightly, her grin widening with pleasure. Her ring finger slipped inside next and Regina could physically see the tightening of her already tweaked nipples. "Dammit," the woman moaned, "I'm so wet for you," she murmured, closing her eyes as her fingers plunged in and out of her tender flesh. "I could come from just the thought of you, Regina," she shuddered again, the oncoming orgasm in view now.

Something about the way Lucy said her name, or perhaps it was her impending orgasm, stopped Regina in her tracks. Lucy obviously noticed, slowing the way she rubbed her clit, she made eye contact with Regina. "Is something wrong?" she purred. She knew when she had lost someone, and Regina had the look of being lost at this moment.

Regina shook her head lightly and tried to refocus. "I just thought about something I shouldn't have…" she admitted slowly. The mood had collapsed, especially within Regina, but she hated to admit it. She fumbled with her thoughts for a moment, but Lucy stopped her.

"Maybe we should try this another time," Lucy suggested cautiously. It was her job to be there, but Regina had completely zoned out and now she just looked uncomfortable.

Regina was happy for the out, "Maybe we should," she agreed, nodding.

Lucy smiled tenderly, but dressed quickly. She refused the extra tip Regina offered when she walked the woman to the door, but suggested that Regina book her again sometime if she was ever feeling up to it. Regina closed the door behind Lucy and leaned against it. "Dammit!" she swore to herself. She felt like a complete idiot, but somewhat relieved.

Regina made her way to the shower and tried to wash away her regrets about how the evening had turned out. She needed sex…it had been way too long since she was with someone else. Nearly eight months; and that had also been arranged by Mal. Her "matchmaking" abilities were legendary, especially in those circles where lust and secrecy met. For the right price, Mal could find the perfect male or female for anyone's tastes; but even she was pushed to the edge by Regina. However, after knowing Regina for nearly eighteen years, Mal knew what the problem was. She would never openly say so or bring it up without Regina doing so first, but Mal knew for a fact that Regina was still stuck on Emma Swan.

"Emma," Regina rubbed her temples as she now sat on the bed in the center of the hotel room. "Fucking Emma Swan," she cursed out loud. "Fucking Emma Swan!" It had been three years since she had seen the woman and her body still ached for Emma. Unfortunately, her heart still ached FROM Emma, and that was even more problematic. Three years, thirty-six months…she should have purged Emma from her system by now. But how could she purge Emma Swan…

Regina lay on the top of the covers and curled into a fetal position. She had better things to do than to worry about Emma…Emma obviously didn't give a damn about her! Or maybe she still did…How in the fuck could she know, since Emma had effectively disappeared from existence it seemed. Regina had searched; had paid other people to search for her, but Emma Swan was nowhere to be found and in all honesty, Regina was heartbroken. Three years later, and she was still heartbroken. And no amount of sex would cure that.

* * *

"Baby, right there..." Dorothy struggled to keep her composure. Her legs were shaking, straining to brace herself against the lovely assault of her girlfriend's tongue against her clit. "Oh god, I'm about to come…" she moaned deeply. "Don't stop baby…don't stop," she felt the warm electricity spread through her body as her legs began to buckle. She felt Ruby release her clit and back away, giving Dorothy the room to slide to the floor herself. Closing her mind for a minute, Dorothy struggled to regain her regular breathing pattern.

"Happy Anniversary, Kansas," she could feel Ruby's mouth against hers and Dorothy couldn't resist her licking her own taste from her girlfriend's lips.

"Happy Anniversary," Dorothy smiled, finally opening her eyes. She and Ruby had been together for a year today, and it was going amazingly well. She couldn't have assumed that it would; since none of her previous relationships had gone so well, but something was different about Ruby. She was warm and kind and funny, and Dorothy actually truly appreciated her company. But more than anything; she felt safe with Ruby and after a life like Dorothy had lived, that meant everything. "I think you broke me," Dorothy teased.

Ruby pulled her robe closed and shook her head. "No…no…no…" Ruby shook her head. "You promised me breakfast."

"If you had really wanted breakfast, you wouldn't have distracted me so well…" Dorothy said standing up. She had planned to make Ruby breakfast in bed, but Ruby had thwarted that plan by attacking her in the kitchen.

"I'm not hungry for food anyways," Ruby said bouncing up beside Dorothy. "Come back to bed with me, Kansas…" she rested her chin on Dorothy's shoulder as she wrapped her arms around the slim waist.

"Fine," Dorothy folded, leading Ruby back into the tiny bedroom. Her apartment wasn't huge, just a one bedroom, one bath; but her bedroom overlooked the small pond in the back of the property and somehow, the stifling Florida heat felt bearable in her bedroom. Both women collapsed on the wrinkled bedding, just looking at the ceiling fan turning. Ruby's hand found her way inside of Dorothy's silk robe and moaned with delight.

"You have great tits, Kansas," she said kissing Dorothy's cheek. Her fingers tweaked the nipples quickly, but Ruby quickly lost interest in just Dorothy's breasts. She yawned sleepily and turned on her side. "Did you want a gift?" she asked, just thinking about the implications of an anniversary. This was her longest relationship, and sometimes she forgot the protocols that went with being in a relationship.

Dorothy kissed her forehead. "I just want to be with you," she said honestly. "Being able to both be here today," she turned to face Ruby. "It feels like you are always gone…"

"I know," Ruby kissed her nose quickly; something Dorothy usually hated. She wasn't into the cutesy things most girls liked. She had joined the Air Force when she was seventeen to escape Kansas and after two tours in Iraq, cutesy things had lost their appeal to her. "But you work a lot too," Ruby noted. She knew this was no excuse, since a lot of her Ruby's work involved late night tracking and surveillance.

"Being a bar manager is a lot harder than I thought it would be," Dorothy nodded. "But once I get it down, it'll be easier," she smiled brightly. She had been honorably discharged from the Air Force four months earlier and a friend of hers had convinced her to run his bar and grill at night, which was an adventure in itself.

"Let's just lay here," Ruby smiled too.

"Okay," Dorothy said kissing her gently. It was the last thing she remembered, until the unruly ringtone of Ruby's phone. Ruby seemed impervious to the annoying ringtone, but it woke Dorothy immediately. "Ruby," she groaned. Her girlfriend had turned on her other side and was gently snoring now. "Ruby," she shook the woman gently.

"Huh?" Ruby asked, turning onto her back. "What, Kansas?"

"Your phone, baby," Dorothy stated with some irritation.

"Dammit…" Ruby said, sitting upright and rubbing her eyes. She looked at the flashing phone and sighed. "Hey, Emma…" she glanced over at Dorothy, who rolled her eyes and rolled to the side of the bed. "It's really early, Em…" Ruby said trying to hurry the conversation along. It was just after eight, which wasn't surprising since Dorothy still woke every morning at five. Ruby watched as Dorothy tightened her robe, and headed across the bedroom and down the hallway to the bathroom. "Kansas…" she tried to whisper, covering the phone. Dorothy only looked back at her, momentarily rolling her eyes. "Em…can we talk tomorrow…" Ruby began, but was cut off by Emma's plea. "Okay…okay, Emma, calm down. Can it wait until around eleven; I'll meet you at Henry's favorite restaurant?" she listened to how relieved Emma sounded. "Okay, I'll see you then," Ruby said hanging up and placing her phone back on Dorothy's nightstand.

When Dorothy didn't return immediately, Ruby got up and made her way down the hallway also. "Dorothy," she said tapping on the bathroom door gently. She could hear the shower running, but she knew when her girlfriend was upset, she wanted her privacy. "Baby, come on…" she pleaded. It was nearly five more minutes before she heard the shower cut off. Still another three minutes before Dorothy opened the door.

"Let me guess…you are going somewhere to meet, Emma…the damsel in destress," Dorothy brushed past her girlfriend in all her naked glory. Ruby couldn't help but get mesmerized by the sway of Dorothy's perfectly almond shaped ass.

"Don't talk about her like that," Ruby said, still becoming defensive over Dorothy's comment about her best friend.

She spun and stopped just before she reached the bedroom door. "I'm sorry," she apologized sincerely. "It's just …one day, Ruby…I wanted you to myself for one day. No work…no Emma…"

"You know she's struggling right now…" Ruby began her parade of defenses.

"She need money again?" Dorothy narrowed her eyes and Ruby was forced to look away. "He took her money again…" she answered her own question. "If she doesn't leave him…"

"It's not my place to demand she do anything," Ruby said following Dorothy into the bedroom.

"So, every time he steals from her…you are going to make up the difference," Dorothy asked rifling through her drawers until she found a pair of shorts and a tight white tee shirt.

"She only needs enough to keep them in the motel for a couple more nights…." Ruby stammered. She didn't like being questioned when it came to Emma. There wasn't anything she wouldn't do for her friend and Dorothy would have to understand that.

Dorothy shrugged. "Whatever," she dismissed. "It's not my money…" she sat on the bed and ran her fingers through her long brown hair. Ruby plopped down beside her; feeling out of sorts now.

"It's just…" Ruby began again.

"You don't have to explain," Dorothy stopped her girlfriend.

"I don't want you to be angry," Ruby said plainly. "It's our anniversary."

"What does that even mean, really?" Dorothy asked defeatedly.

"Kansas," she said pulling her girlfriend closer. "Don't do this to me. I love you," she said tenderly. "But she is my best friend," she said taking Dorothy's hand. "We've been through everything together." She hadn't really told Dorothy of her complete history, but she had to know that Emma was a big part of her childhood through her adulthood. She couldn't untangle herself from Emma Swan.

"Okay…"

"I'll talk to her though…"

"No, Ruby don't worry about it. It's not my right to get upset about what you do with your money," she admitted sadly. "I was just …Ruby, what's in our future?" she asked bluntly.

Ruby's heart started racing fast. "What do you mean?" she asked shakily.

"Today…I was going to ask you to move in," Dorothy said looking around. "I mean, I know it's not much…and it's not perfect," she said looking around her somewhat small bedroom. It was cozy for one person, it may would be eventually cramped for two, but she wanted to share her space with Ruby. She had never wanted to share anything with anyone before.

"You want me to move in?" a slow smile crept across Ruby's gentle face.

"More than anything else in this world," she committed easily. "But it scares me…"

"Why are you scared?"

"You are my number one, Ruby. If there is anything you want or needed, I would do anything to get it for you. I love you…you are first in my life…I'm barely third in yours. It's not fair," Dorothy said pulling her hand back and standing up. "I love you; I want to be a priority. But that sounds selfish and bitchy and I can't be that to you either…"

Ruby took a deep breath. "I'm confused…"

"I don't want you to be," Dorothy said quickly. "I just want you to know that I'm serious about this, you and I being together is very important to me. More important than anything else has been…I just wish you felt the same."

Ruby popped up quickly. "I do feel the same," Ruby said placing both her hands to the sides of Dorothy's neck. She kissed her, slowly exploring her mouth. She felt Dorothy pull her closer and moan. "Nothing is more important than you, I promise," she said when she finally backed away. "And I want to be with you and live with you. You are my priority, baby. I swear." Dorothy did not seem convinced. "Kansas," Ruby shifted nervously. She couldn't lose Dorothy.

"I know…" Dorothy finally resigned.

Ruby kissed her quickly again. "Let me handle this today," she almost pleaded. "And then we'll talk about our future," she promised solemnly. She looked at her girlfriend in the eyes and settled a bit. She could tell Dorothy believed her and now she couldn't let her down.

* * *

"Mommy, I'm starving!" Henry had said that morning.

Emma had checked her special hiding spot for the tiny bit of cash she could stash away when Killian wasn't around. The few odd jobs she could pull together barely paid enough to keep them in the stay-by-week motels and the drinking tabs that Killian continuously ran up. Eating out was more expensive than it should have been and feeding her and Henry was becoming damn near impossible. Thankfully, Ruby was a good enough friend to loan her money every couple of weeks, even though it was an extreme burden. Life wasn't exactly easy for Ruby either, but she never complained when Emma had to borrow two or three hundred dollars; or when as soon as she paid Ruby back, it was time to borrow again. Which was the predicament she was in now; sitting at the Pirate's Diner in Pensacola, Florida, watching Henry bounce on the cheaply padded booth seat.

"Can I get a burger?" Henry asked, his big brown eyes looking up at Emma.

"Yep," Emma smiled, just relieved to be able to say yes for once.

"And fries?" Henry said cocking his head to the side.

"And fries and a milkshake," Emma said tickling him quickly. She saw Ruby burst through the diner doors, her presence automatically noted by most of the diners there. She made eye contact with Emma, grinned, and headed over to the table.

"Ruby!" Henry jumped from the booth to the woman's open arms.

"Henry! My man!" she said kissing his dark brown hair lovingly. "Did you miss me!"

"Yeah!" Henry laughed. "Mommy said I can get a milkshake today!"

"You can get whatever you want," Ruby said placing him down beside her as she sat down. "I'm starving," she said glancing over the menu, but she already knew what she was going to get. This place only made one truly edible thing and that was the cheeseburger.

"How's it going, Em?" she asked looking up from the menu. Her best friend looked exhausted and weary. She wasn't even thirty yet, but Emma Swan had been through more than anyone and Ruby knew she just needed a damn break.

Emma shrugged, stirring her iced tea with her straw. "I've had worse days. How are you?"

"It's my anniversary," Ruby winked. "So was properly in the middle of some…when you called."

"Sorry," Emma said genuinely.

"It's fine," Ruby said after ordering herself a cheeseburger. "I just can't stay too long."

"I understand," Emma yawned.

Ruby talked to Henry a few moments before asking Emma, "How is Hook?"

"Hook…Hook…Hook," Henry chanted gleefully standing up and bouncing. His tiny shirt rode up past his stomach, already two sizes too small for him.

"Henry, sit down," Emma scolded. She didn't need him talking that little moniker back to Killian. The man already hated Ruby and it was clear that the feeling was mutual. However, Emma had chosen to be with him and she didn't need that complicated any more by Ruby giving him harsh nicknames. "I told you not to call him that," Emma rolled her eyes. "How would you like it if you lost a hand and I let him make fun of you?"

"Calm down, I'm just playing," Ruby rolled her eyes. "How is Killian…still a nightmare?"

"What's a nightmare, Mommy?" Henry asked looking from Ruby to Emma.

Before Emma could answer, Ruby reached into her jean pocket and pulled out seven quarters, most of which had come from Dorothy's dresser. "Why don't you play the Pac-Man game, buddy?" she asked, placing the coins in the little boy's hand. "At least until lunch gets here." Without another word, Henry bounced over Ruby's lap and ran to the clear arcade game in the corner of the diner.

"Thanks," Emma finally sighed. "You can't say stuff like that in front of Henry. He's a human sponge…"

"Just like his mom," Ruby cocked a brow. It gave Emma the funny feeling that she wasn't talking about her. "Well, how is Killian…you know his name is a lot more ridiculous than what I call him…"

"He's …. he's Killian. Drinking up a storm, falling asleep outside the motel room door. The manager has given us a second warning about him starting shit down at the bar... we can't afford to get kicked out of there. It's literally the cheapest place I could find. If we get kicked out, we'll be living in the bug," Emma said referring to her nearly antique yellow car.

"Well this should help you out a bit," Emma said pushing the three hundred dollars Emma needed to borrow across the table. Emma quickly picked it up and stuffed it in her pocket.

"Thank you so much, Ruby," she said softly. She glanced over at her son, who was thoroughly enjoying playing the video game even though the game was playing itself now. "I miss not having to live like this," she muttered to herself more than to her friend. "He deserves better," she said looking towards her son.

"You're doing the best you can," Ruby shrugged, not knowing what else to say.

"I'm fucking it up," Emma said, wiping a runaway tear before it fully crested her eyelid. "It wasn't supposed to be like this, ya know…"

"Yeah, I know," Ruby agreed. She watched as the waitress delivered the food to the table. "Do you ever think about calling her…"

"And saying what, Ruby?" Emma asked angrily. She didn't want to bring up Regina Mills, but somehow most of she and Ruby's conversation eventually ended up at Regina Mills.

"The truth! Anything…" Ruby said sticking a fry in her mouth.

"Henry…come eat your lunch," Emma said ignoring her friend.

"One minute!" Henry yelled back.

"Now, Henry," Emma said firmly. The little boy dropped his head and made his way back to the table.

"You're avoiding," Ruby noted, taking a big bite from her burger. It wasn't great, but she was just hungry enough to eat the entire thing.

"She left…"

"For her company! And she was coming back…" Ruby countered. "You decided to disappear…"

"You helped me!"

Ruby looked down regretfully. "You left out some pretty important information," Ruby reminded her.

"It wouldn't have mattered…Regina Mills made her decision when she decided to leave for three months."

"I love you…you are my best friend, but you are wrong about that," Ruby contested. "If she would have known you were P-R-E-G-N-A-N-T with him…everything would be different," she said looking at Henry, who was polishing off his fries instead of paying attention to the conversation.

"Well it's too late to know now," Emma said pushing her plate away. She had lost her appetite talking about her past mistakes. "It's nothing I can do about it now."

They were both quiet for too long and Henry had to insert himself into the silence. After eating his lunch though, he headed back to the arcade game. Ruby shifted uncomfortably, afraid of what she was about to say. She pulled out a couple of twenties and placed them on the table. "Emma…I think I'm going to move in with Dorothy," she said, not making direct eye contact with her best friend.

"Congratulations," Emma said, actually happy for her friend. Hopefully, she would have a better time in her relationship than she was having.

"Emma, things have to change then," she explained. "I can't exactly keep floating you…it wouldn't be fair to Dorothy."

Emma looked stunned for a moment, her blue eyes sparkling with unshed tears. She didn't need her life to get any harder, and with her best friend essentially cutting her off, life just got harder. Still, she steeled herself to the feeling and sighed. "I get it," she said calmly. "Thanks for this time…I'll get your money back to you…"

"I mean, take your time," Ruby felt deeply terrible. "It's just…"

"I get it…she comes first, Ruby. She should…you've been waiting forever to be in love like you are with Dorothy. You deserve your happiness," she stood and kissed her best friend's cheek, then went over to get Henry. "Go over and said goodbye to Aunt Ruby," she instructed, trying to hold it together for a little while longer. Henry jumped into Ruby's arms and squeezed her tightly.

"I love you, little guy," Ruby said kissing him a few times.

"I'll call you later, Ruby," Emma tried to smile. "Congratulations with Dorothy."

Emma managed to get Henry strapped in and all the way back to the hotel parking lot before she completely fell apart. She felt sick and weak. She was losing her best friend; she knew what happened when someone settle down and Ruby was settling down. Besides Henry, Ruby was the only person in the world Emma had left. It only made her think about Regina more, and she couldn't afford to think of Regina Mills. They were apart for a reason; a reason that hadn't changed, even though three years and circumstances had definitely changed.

Emma buried her face in her hands and let the tears fall silently for a while. Henry had talked himself to sleep on the ride back to the motel and even though the Florida heat was stifling, she needed a moment to herself. She knew the second she entered that room, Killian would be there, still reeking of the rum or gin or vodka he had devoured the night before. She had loved him so much at first…or at least she thought it was love. He had been different…funny, laid-back and carefree when they first met and she had just wanted to be free of her thoughts about Regina. He had been so accepting of Henry, even though the little boy was only a baby and a cranky one at that. They had been perfect for one another, or at least Emma had thought so. It was why she had followed Killian to Florida. He was a ship builder and avid sailor, but when he lost his hand while being intoxicated on a worksite, everything had changed for the worse.

The company refused to pay workman's comp since he was drunk and Emma couldn't support the three of them on her own. It didn't help that Killian had a nasty taste for alcohol and painkillers now, or that his patience and temper were both on short fuses. The money had dried up and they were struggling and now she just wanted to get away. However, that was not a solution. It wasn't even a real thought, to be honest.

"Mommy," she could hear Henry's tiny voice. "What's wrong, Mommy," he rubbed his eyes. He didn't know why he was upset, but the fact that his mom was, he was quickly becoming fussy.

"Nothing, honey," the blond rubbed her blue eyes to stifled the tears. "You ready to go home?"

"No," Henry said honestly.

Emma looked at the hot parking lot and knew the feeling. She turned and smiled at her precious little boy. "You wanna go to the beach?" she questioned, trying to stir up some happiness.

"The beach!" Henry said kicking his little feet.

She started the car, after a few tries, and drove in the direction of the beach. Why not stave off reality for a little longer.

* * *

"You are making this difficult on purpose," Regina could hear Ursula say. Regina was heading down the long hallway that separated the foyer from the living room, dining room and kitchen, and she could hear that Ursula and Mal were already seated for lunch. It was customary that whenever she was in Washington DC for longer than a day, Regina was would stop in to see her old friends. They now lived in DC, much to Ursula's dismay since her career was better suited in New York, Miami or Atlanta, but it was one sacrifice for love she would gladly deal with.

"Just tell Crimson to do it," Ursula said firmly. "You know she will listen to you, Mal."

Regina slowed to the entrance of the dining room, feeling as if she were intruding on something.

"No…I won't force our daughter to see her father. He had no interest in her when she was a child, now that she is practically an adult…"

"That's not fair," Ursula said shakily.

Regina turned the corner, entering the spacious room. "Afternoon, ladies."

A smile spread across Ursula's face when she saw her old friend. "Regina, you look amazing," she gushed, pulling the woman into a tight hug.

"That you do," Mal allowed her eyes to rack over Regina, even though she didn't stand. She was fuming, and she would like to hold onto as much for personal reasons. She and Ursula had three daughters between them. Lily, who was off in college, and Sierra and Crimson, who were teenagers. After nearly fourteen years of neglect, Sierra and Crimson's father wished to insert himself back into the girls' lives; and although Sierra was putting up no struggle, Crimson wasn't having it.

"Crimson should be joining us for lunch," Ursula informed Regina. "She always gets so excited when you come around. But Sierra is in New York, visiting Lily and touring colleges up there."

"She's only touring one," Mal corrected Ursula. "Cornell is the only option. I wouldn't dare see another daughter waste my tuition money on somewhere that wasn't Ivy League," she rolled her eyes.

"NYU is a wonderful university," Ursula interrupted. "And Lily is in law school…can't that be good enough?" she said sitting back down.

"Not if you are going to get a law degree from NYU," Crimson smiled brightly, coming into the room. Although she was only fourteen, Crimson had the air of someone much older. She looked too much like her mother for her own good, since Ursula was universally gorgeous, and thought way too much like Mal, who had earned her first million by age twenty-five. Crimson was a force already, and even she knew it.

"You've made our youngest a dirty elitist," Ursula commented.

"Aww, baby, I'm sorry," Mal teased. "Brown is already asking for Crimson," she winked at her daughter.

Crimson went over to hug Regina. "They only want me for the summer camp…but it seems promising."

"I thought you were working with me for the summer," Regina jabbed.

"Could I really work with you this summer?" Crimson asked in awe. "I'll intern…get coffee… Staple documents…whatever you need!" she said, sitting beside the woman.

"You are going to spend the summer with your father," Ursula broke in.

"I don't have a father," Crimson said pulling her left foot into the chair and her knee to her chest. "I have two mothers; that's how lesbianism works, mom," Crimson said cockily.

Mal took a sip from the martini in front of her to hide her smile. Ursula shot her a foul look, and took a deep breath.

"Can I work with you this summer, Aunt Regina, please!"

Regina wasn't crazy enough to answer that question. "What's for lunch?" she threw off on the question.

Mal looked up at the skylight in the ceiling over the dining room table. It was beginning to rain steady now, which had killed her plan to have her chef grill outside. "Chef Caspian is making prime rib since we are getting those April showers a month earlier," Mal answered.

"I'm not going," Crimson broke in. "I'm not spending my summer with that bastard." The girl said it so firmly that everyone's attention settled onto her.

"Talk some sense into your daughter," Ursula urged Mal.

Mal took a deep breath. She knew she was the final authority on this matter. Ursula and Crimson would take her word as final law. Still, she finished her martini and ignored the problem at hand. "Crimson, go check on lunch and ask Caspian to make Regina a dirty martini."

"You too?" Crimson asked standing at attention for her mother. Mal nodded, needing an immediate refill.

It was later, after lunch when Mal and Regina had retired to Mal's office that Regina received the full scoop of the tension in the family.

"So, Sierra wants to see her father before she leaves for school and Crimson …"

"Refuses," Mal said with a guilty smile. "They are very different girls," Mal added.

"She can intern with me if she likes…all summer…"

"She'll end up at Brown's summer camp," Mal said knowingly. "I've already paid for it…"

"Without telling Ursula," Regina crossed her legs and sipped on the Scotch that Mal had poured for her. "What's going on with you two? It's not like you not to be on the same page…"

Mal finished her drink tightly. "How was Lucy last night?"

It wiped the smile off of Regina's face. "Did she call you?"

"Only to say she didn't need payment. She's very discreet," Mal said placing a cigarette in her mouth. "You know…it's not my place…"

"Then don't," Regina stopped her friend. "Let's talk about anything else…investments, stock options…your business…my business…anything else."

"How is the company?"

"Fucking booming. We're ending this quarter with fifteen percent growth, just in the networking sector. I'm outpacing sales by twelve percent. I'm gonna have to hire more contractors because I'm sending a team to Belgium this week to do their parliament's security."

"Champagne problems," Mal grinned. "You still determined not to go public?"

"Absolutely. I like organic growth…"

"You'll eventually outpace it," Mal said standing and heading back to the small bar at the corner of the room.

"Are you telling me you won't flush another five million into the company?"

"The way you have your foot on the pedal, I won't need to."

"Shit…I have to keep my mind occupied, you know." Regina ran her fingertips over the rim of the crystal glass.

"That's what Lucy was for…I've yet to have a complaint about her yet."

"I'm not complaining about her. It just felt …I don't know…" she didn't have time to sort out her thoughts. Her cell phone whined in her purse. She reached down and pulled out her phone. "Mills speaking," she answered in her most business-like way.

"Regina, are you sitting down?" the voice on the other end of the line questioned. It was Kathryn Nolan, her friend and personal lawyer.

"I am," Regina answered. "What's going on…"

"I think I know where Emma Swan is…" she announced triumphally. Regina was glad she was sitting down. She felt her stomach drop and she could barely hold onto the phone. "Regina…Regina…"

"Where?" Regina's voice trembled.

"Florida…Pensacola at the moment. I got a call from a Miss Lucas on my private cell phone about an hour ago…I figured it was legitimate, seeing how complicated our private lines are to access. She revealed that Emma Swan has been living as Myrtle Hampton the past three years."

"Ruby Lucas…" Regina did momentarily drop the phone this time.

"She didn't want to be found, Regina," Kathryn revealed cautiously. What she said next was bound to make Regina's heart completely stop. "Regina…Emma Swan has a son…Ruby says it's your…"

* * *

Florida weather is fickle, which was why the downpour of rain that they were experiencing right now wasn't exactly a surprise. However, Ruby's silence was a surprise. Dorothy had been getting some much-needed sleep when she had gotten back to the apartment and in an effort not to disturb her, Ruby had settled onto the cramp couch in the living room. The rain had really come out of nowhere, but Ruby appreciated the distraction right now. The sound of the rain cleared her thoughts of what she had done.

"When'd you get back?" a voice questioned from across the room.

Ruby's green eyes scanned the room. "About an hour ago," she beckoned her girlfriend over and waited until Dorothy lay across her chest. "You were sleeping so soundly," she said placing a kiss into the woman's hair. "I didn't want to wake you."

"You can always wake me," Dorothy said looking up into Ruby's eyes. "How is Emma and Henry?"

"Henry is happy…growing like a weed. Emma is … I think did something bad…impulsive," Ruby pulled her upper lip into her mouth and gnawed.

"What do you mean?" some confusion plastered itself onto Dorothy's features.

"We are going to be together, right?" Ruby questioned sounding more like an eleven-year-old child than the confident twenty-six-year-old that Dorothy was accustomed to.

"Yeah," Dorothy assured her, rubbing her tight abdomen tenderly. And that was when she learned the entire story of Emma Swan. From the time Ruby, had met Emma when she was twelve and Emma was fourteen; to them skipping out on their group home, to them making their way through getting GEDs and eventually Associates degrees, right up until the time Emma met and fell in love with Regina Mills.

That's what had brought Emma and Ruby to Florida…Emma fleeing from her love of Regina Mills and following Killian. None of it surprised Dorothy, saddened her a bit, but not really surprised her. What did surprise Dorothy was the fact that Henry wasn't Killian's; but that he was conceived from Regina's egg and carried by Emma. However, Regina had no idea of the boy's existence. She had gotten her first big contract to set up a government's cyber-security and had shipped out for three months before Emma even knew that she was pregnant.

"So, she never told Regina?" Dorothy questioned, trying to digest the story.

"They were pretty sure that the IVF hadn't taken," Ruby stated sadly. "It rarely takes the first time and Emma's cycle had returned; so, when Regina moved she had no idea. Emma was three months in before she realized she was pregnant. We thought it was the flu…she panicked, figured Regina would come back and take the baby. She had broken up with Regina and wasn't answering her calls…she felt hurt and abandoned…we made hasty decisions…probably bad decisions, but…" Ruby was talking too fast to even keep up herself. "She met Killian…and I think she thought he would make everything alright. Shit, nothing is alright though…and I may have made it worse."

"How …how so?"

"Kathryn Nolan is Regina's personal bulldog lawyer…and I just called and told her everything…" Ruby said closing her eyes and burying her head against Dorothy's chest.

"It'll be okay, baby. You did what you thought was right," Dorothy cooed. Unfortunately, she was naïve to the situation enough to believe that everything could be alright.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey all! From this point on, most of the author's notes will be at the beginning of the chapter. I just wanted to kinda set up this chapter; it's a flashback and brief history of how Emma and Regina's relationship started and how they were together. Of course, there will be more insight into them as the story goes on, but this chapter gives that first peek. Please feel free to comment and review, I love hearing for you! Enjoy and just a reminder, all mistakes are mine and I don't own these characters! :)**

Chapter 2

2009 – Washington DC

"I think I got your drink," Emma said against the ear of the beautiful woman in front of her. The woman whipped around quickly, poised to say something, but her words strangled in her throat. "I ordered the honey lemonade…and you've been drinking martinis all night…so …" Emma clarified, pointing to the pinkish drink in front of her. "I think when the bartenders changed out, they got it mixed up…"

"Sorry," Regina Mills shook her head. "Yeah…cherry blossom martini is mine," she said, shaking off the fog.

Emma grinned widely. "Honest mistake," she moved the drink towards Regina. She quickly took her drink and headed back through the crowd to where her best friend, Ruby stood, waiting.

Regina allowed her eyes to follow Emma to her final location across the room before turning back to her friend, Kathryn, who had just returned from the ladies' room. "What's that look?" Kathryn questioned, hopping back on the bar stool in front of her friend.

Regina snapped out of her trance and shook her head. "Oh, nothing," she threw off. Today had been a good day. She had gotten the major contract her company needed for her to move to DC and now, in less than three months, she was permanently moving to Washington DC to run her company from there. She and Kathryn were now celebrating, before Kathryn headed to the airport to fly back to Seattle, where they had been based for the past two years.

"How long do you think it'll take you to find a place here?" Kathryn questioned.

"A couple of days. I'll be here the rest of the week. Hopefully, I can find something suitable while I'm here and lock down a lease. If not, Mal has offered to keep looking. You know she's expanding her business to the area."

"I can't imagine a better market," Kathryn said rolling her eyes. She looked down at her diamond encrusted watch and sighed. "Well, I should be finishing up. I have to go straight to the airport."

"Would you like me to go also?"

"Gosh, no," Kathryn smiled. "Enjoy yourself tonight, you've earned it." She finished her drink quickly, grabbed her purse and headed out into the warm spring air to hail a cab back to the hotel.

Now alone, Regina felt astutely self-conscious in the crowded bar. This time could be better spent in her hotel room, reading over some of the new contracts she had received earlier that day, so Regina beckoned the bartender over. "May I close out my check please?" Regina asked, pulling out her wallet and her gold card.

"Your check has been taken care of, ma'am," he said smiling, but quickly returning back to the cocktails he was preparing. It took a moment before Regina could regain his attention. "The blonde that was beside you earlier," he explained quickly. "I think she went back across the room…"

Regina's eyes pierced through the crowd and landed on the blonde that had switched their drinks earlier. Regina, never one to accept anything for free, grabbed her bag and headed across the room and stopped behind the blonde. "Excuse me…. excuse me," she said a bit louder when the woman didn't hear her. The woman whipped around and those blue eyes fixed onto her again and Regina almost lost her nerve. "Did you pay for my drinks?" she asked. It sounded a lot anger than it should have, but that was the price of the nerves Regina felt in her stomach right now.

Frowning, the girl recoiled a bit. "Yeah…" she answered slowly. "Is that a problem?"

"No…" Regina shook her head quickly. "I just …I wanted to say thank you." Regina's voice evened out and sounded nicer now. A set of butterflies returned to her stomach when the beautiful girl smiled at her. "I feel like I should return the favor…" she offered awkwardly.

"Oh…don't worry about it," Emma shrugged. She saw the disappointment in Regina's eyes and stopped herself. "But if you feel you must; my friend Ruby and I were thinking about going to this sports bar uptown in a bit." She looked at Regina and the tight corporate attire she was wearing. "But you aren't a sports person, are you?" Emma smiled cockily.

She placed her clutch under her arm instinctually and prepared herself to be offended. "Why would you say that?" she questioned haughtily.

The girl shrugged again. "Those aren't sports bar clothes."

Regina looked down at her tailor jacket and pencil skirt combo. "Lunch…do you eat lunch?" Regina ignored the opportunity for a comeback.

The smugness was wiped from Emma's face. "Yeah…I eat lunch," she stammered.

Regina opened her purse, and pulled out a business card. She quickly scribbled her cell phone number on the back and handed it to Emma. "Tomorrow? Lunch?"

Emma stood in front of the woman, mouth agape. Her best friend, who had been watching the entire exchanged, took the business card from Regina and nodded. "She'll be there…" Ruby promised.

Regina never removed her dark brown eyes from Emma's sparkling blue ones. "I have a standing reservation at Monte's on Capitol Hill. 1:00?"

Emma grabbed the card from Ruby and flipped it over. Her mind raced; she knew that place and doubted she had anything fancy enough to even wear there. Still, she took a deep breath to fortify herself. "I wouldn't miss it," she said.

"Delightful," Regina said seriously. "Who should I have the maître di look for tomorrow afternoon?" Emma obviously didn't understand the question, which made Regina chuckle a bit. "Your name, dear…"

"Emma…uh Emma Swan."

"Emma Swan," the name lingered ever so delicately on Regina's mouth. "Ms. Swan. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow," she nodded towards Ruby and disappeared through the crowd.

"I don't have anything to wear to some place like Monte's," Emma had complained the next morning. The nicest pair of pants she owned was from her days of waitressing. They were solid black without much elegance. Ruby had offered her a dress, but she had never been much for dresses, especially for a midday lunch with an alluring stranger. She eventually settled on a pair of dark washed jeans and a yellow button up shirt. She looked and felt presentable, which was all that mattered.

It took her nearly forty minutes to get to Capitol Hill from where she lived and on a Saturday afternoon, people buzzed around everywhere. She waited patiently as the hostess ignored her at least ten times, and when she was finally seated, she ignored the low-brow glances she received from the other patronages. She ordered only a water, and tried not to gag at the exorbitant prices of the restaurant. It was nearly ten minutes after she had been seated when Regina Mills finally arrived.

"Ms. Swan," Regina smiled brightly, "I'm so sorry for being late," she apologized, allowing the hostess to remove her light spring coat, "I had a conference call that ran over." She looked over the table and noticed that Emma had only water, "You didn't order a cocktail? Wine, at least?" she questioned, seating herself regally across from Emma. Regina was dressed in her normal tailored business suit, crisp white shirt, grey pencil skirt. "They make an amazing martini."

"Yeah for twenty-seven dollars," Emma said looking down at the menu prices. She, Ruby and Regina's drinks together last night only costed seventy dollars and she and Ruby had drunk A LOT, since Ruby was breaking in a fake ID. Not to mention the fact that she had SAVED for that night out.

Regina eyed the girl, but said nothing. The waiter quickly came over to coo over Regina. After a quick exchange, Regina returned her attention to Emma. "Bring us a trio of tasting starters," Regina ordered, easily. "And a tuna tartare and beef tartare please," she paused a moment. "You do like tartare don't you, sweetheart?" Regina questioned, catching Emma off guard.

"I've never had it," she admitted regretfully. She noticed the waiter roll his eyes slyly.

Regina hadn't noticed, her focus being completely on Emma. "Well…order whatever you would like," she encouraged her guest. "I'm just very accustomed to the tartare here. It's my favorite."

"No, it's fine," Emma tried to relax.

A silence fell over the table as Emma tried to get comfortable in her surroundings. As she looked around at the opulance, it was difficult to get used to the uptight guests that buzzed around the restaurant. Why did she agree to come here?

"I'm glad you agreed to join me for lunch," Regina said breaking into her thoughts. "I'm not accustomed to people being nice to me; especially in bars…"

"I can't imagine why not," Emma blurted out. She closed her eyes in embarrassment as she realized how stupid she sounded. "I just mean, you are so beautiful…I assumed people are nice to you all the time." When Regina didn't respond, she rolled her eyes again. "Wow, I said that out loud," she sighed. She was saved by the flight of highball cocktails being delivered to the table. She quickly reached out and drowned one of the drinks hastily.

"Ms. Swan…" Regina began.

"Please, call me Emma," she stammered, amazed at how strongly the cocktail burned her throat. "What is that gin…" she coughed a little.

Regina looked down at the cocktails and nodded, "Mezcal, I believe. That is probably a mixture."

"Jesus," Emma cleared her throat to help.

"Ms. Sw…" Regina caught herself, "Emma, relax," she implored gently.

"I'm trying," Emma explained after her heart stopped throbbing in her chest. "I mean, this place is just a lot nicer than I'm used to going to. I don't think I belong here," she said quickly, sadly. "I mean, even the waiters here look at me like I'm trash…"

Regina looked around suspicious; her eyes seeking out anything that would make her guest feel uncomfortable. "What do you mean, looking at you like trash?" Regina's soft brown eyes had turned drastically colder. "Who has done that? Our waiter?" she asked, just in time for the appetizers to be delivered. She gave their waiter a cold stare and watched any interaction he had with Emma. Once he walked away, she refocused on Emma.

"I'm just saying…" Emma looked down into her lap. "This place is just way too nice for me…especially since I just paid for like two drinks for you…" she fumbled with her fingers nervously.

"May I ask you a question?" Regina asked, suddenly feeling an air of sadness wash over her. Emma looked up, and nodded her agreement. "Why did you pay for my drinks last night?"

"I don't know," Emma answered honestly. "They mixed up our drinks…it kinda felt like fate. And you looked at me," Emma said looking up directly at Regina, "I guess I was just giving thanks to fate," she smiled slowly. She really wanted to say that she would have paid for a million drinks to get her attention. "Why did you ask me to lunch today?" Emma questioned.

"I wanted to see you again," Regina picked up one of the cocktails and sipped slowly. Once she finished the drink, she sighed. "We can leave," she said earnestly.

"No…"

"No…" Regina shook her head. "If you don't feel comfortable here…if they are making you feel uncomfortable…that's intolerable," she pushed her drink aside.

"No," Emma said feeling bad about complaining. "This looks great…" she tried to brighten up. She tried a bit of the steak tartare. "Wow…that is amazing!"

"Yeah," Regina relaxed a little and tried a bite herself. "I don't know many places here, but the food here is always amazing."

"You don't live here?" Emma asked a mixture of shock and sadness peppering her question.

"No, not yet," Regina explained. "I live in Seattle right now, but I'm moving here in the next two months or so. I'll be back and forth until then. How long have you lived here?"

"I actually live in Alexandria, but my best friend, Ruby and I have been living there for about three months now. I got a tech job programming and we moved up. We've been pretty nomadic before that…" and that's when Emma really began to relax. Conversation came easily with Regina Mills, it seemed and the fact that she had felt out of place earlier was quickly being erased with the fact that she enjoyed talking to Regina.

Lunch quickly passed, and before either Regina or Emma realized it, nearly three hours had escaped them. "Wow, it is nearly four," Regina said regretfully. "I have a conference call with my lawyer, she sighed. "I need to get back to my hotel room. She beckoned over the waiter and paid for their lunch.

"Oh," Emma frowned. "I had a really good time."

"Well, how about we meet after my conference call," Regina suggested easily. "It should be done by eight. I don't know a lot of things to do in the city, but …"

"Okay!" Emma laughed. "I'll figure something out," she said eagerly. "Can I come to your hotel room to get you?"

Regina thought about it for a minute. "Sure…" she said cautiously.

"Cool," the young woman grinned enthusiastically. "Wear something casual."

Regina looked down and took a slow evaluation of her attire. "I am dressed casually," Regina said seriously.

Emma couldn't stop herself from laughing out loud. "Well, I'll bring you a pair of jeans," she said promised playfully.

* * *

Three Weeks Later

"So, what time do you land?" Emma questioned, jumping into her pants. She was already late for work, but she wanted to talk to Regina this morning since she was flying back in from Seattle. They were apartment or townhouse shopping for Regina this weekend, and their friendship was going swimmingly. Where Emma was easy-going and playful, Regina was serious and down to business. They were good for each other, although Emma was confused at what exactly that meant. She knew she was extremely attracted to Regina Mills, but was Regina really attracted to her? It all began because she had been nice to the woman and although she was stunning, it seemed that most people weren't too nice to Regina. Emma figured that this sophisticated woman just wanted a friend, someone to hang out with in a new city, and that was cool. Still, Emma figured she was getting far too attached to her friendship with Regina. That, of course, didn't stop her from spending every moment she could with Regina, which was what she planned to do this weekend.

"Four o'clock," Regina yawned. She had gotten no sleep, but she could sleep on the plane. She enjoyed hearing Emma's voice in the morning and was actually a little nervous about seeing her again. The one day they spent together was, dare she think it, magical, and she was scared that the repeat would be disappointing. "I have a five o'clock meeting and then I'm free for the weekend."

"Cool," Emma pulled on her jacket since the wind was up and slid into her shoes that were at the door. "Call me when you get through."

"Why don't I just come to your apartment when I get through? I'm going to be near Alexandria for my meeting…"

"My apartment," Emma paused, looking around the mess that was where she and Ruby lived. Ruby had a habit of undressing at the door, not to mention the sink full of dishes, or the older couch and chairs… "My apartment," Emma repeated.

"Is that a problem, dear?"

"No," Emma looked around. If she didn't leave for work soon, she'd be late. "Just call me when you have landed. I worry. I gotta run. Bye," Emma didn't wait for Regina to respond, instead she hung up. She rushed to work, and ended up leaving earlier so she could stop by a store and buy all new cleaning supplies, two rugs and a couch cover for she and Ruby's old couch. By the time, Ruby returned from her classes to get dressed for work, Emma had polished the kitchen, cleaned the bathroom, vacuumed every room, and put down the new rugs and put on the couch cover. She looked utterly exhausted, but still bubbly with the thought of Regina flying in that evening.

"What's this between you two?" Ruby questioned, pulling her hair back and getting ready for her job.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked, curling her long blonde hair, just to pull it back in a curly ponytail. She was picking out a matching bra and panty set, which was harder than it should have been since she got most of her underwear in the mix-match bargain bin..

"Are you screwing?"

"No!" Emma's blue eyes almost bulged out of her head. "We are friends."

"You never clean-up for me, or do your hair for me," Ruby reminded her.

"That's because you are like a sister," Emma countered.

"That you don't want to fuck," Ruby continued.

"I don't want to fuck, Regina."

Ruby eyed her skeptically. She peeked inside of Emma's bedroom. "Did you change your sheets?"

"Yeah so…why would you even notice that?" Emma narrowed her eyes in frustration.

"Because we have four sets of sheets between us," Ruby laughed mischievously. "If you are just friends, why do you have to change your bed sheets?"

"You're going to be late, Ruby!"

"Eww…you are gonna screw tonight…so nasty," Ruby teased. Ruby felt a small shove as Emma ushered her to the door. "I do like a clean house though…so if it takes Ms. Regina Mills for the apartment to look this nice…then I'm all for you eatin' her…"

"Goodbye Ruby," Emma said closing her bedroom door. She plopped down on the bed and looked around her sparsely decorated room. She had a queen-sized bed and she was still making payments on the mattresses and dresser. Other than that, her room was pretty empty besides the second-hand nightstands and small lamps beside her bed. She had given Ruby her laptop for school and it would be at least four or five months before she could afford another one for her own personal use.

Her cell phone rang beside her and she allowed a few rings before answering. "Hey Regina."

"You sound sad," Regina picked up on automatically.

"No, a little tired, but not sad," Emma replied. How could she be sad with Regina in town.

"Oh…we can just see each other tomorrow," she began to suggest, but Emma stopped her in her tracks.

"No! Tonight is good." Emma had been looking forward to this for weeks; there was no way she was not seeing Regina tonight. "I'll grab a cup of coffee…come over," she didn't want to sound pleading, but she knew that she was pleading.

"Well, I'm going to settle into my hotel and then head over," Regina's voice brightened. "Say an hour? Can you send me the directions again?"

An hour later, Emma sat on her newly covered couch, trying to disperse some of the nervous energy that had taken over her body. Regina still made her nervous…what the hell was she thinking, it was surprising that Regina made her nervous at all. Emma Swan was not one to give a shit about peoples' opinion of her, but it was different with Regina. Their friendship was different. It was new, not like what she shared with Ruby, who she thought of like a little sister; it was more fragile, more delicate. She liked when Regina smiled, like the way she smelled, like how she conducted herself…she couldn't stop thinking about Regina and even more, she never wanted to stop talking to the woman.

It was a crush, which wasn't a bad thing, only a different thing. Emma had never really thought about her sexuality, or sex, in general. It was just something she had done with boys, only a few, and it wasn't particularly enjoyable. Just something she did because she was "dating" or because it was expected. She had never really wanted any guy, or girl for that matter; but this was all different with Regina.

Emma shifted in her seat just thinking about Regina. She wasn't for sure that Regina was gay; they had never talked about it, but the woman never mentioned men and she had never really hidden the fact that she found some women attractive. But women did that type of thing, right? Regina never really flirted with her, she decided. She treated her with respect and just enjoyed her company…they had a friendship. A completely platonic, normal, adult friendship…

"You are being quiet," Regina had settled comfortable on the couch after Emma had given her the all too quick tour of her apartment. Regina had smiled politely at Emma's pride, and even scolded Emma when she had downplayed the significance of her own apartment.

"Sorry…I was just wondering if you were hungry," Emma blurted out before her mind cycled through if she had food or not.

"I'm fine," Regina pulled her legs onto the couch to make herself more comfortable. Emma's eyes swept up Regina's legs and she actually blushed looking away. "You seem off, Emma," Regina frowned.

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"If something is bothering you, I wish you would," Regina offered a tiny, teasing smile.

"Are you … do you date women?" the words gay or lesbian wouldn't quite leave Emma's lips, and her face and neck actually flushed once she said it. When Regina looked stunned, Emma quickly backpedaled. "I mean…it's no problem," she chuckled nervously. "I mean, Ruby's gay…I'm cool with it."

"Yes. I date women, exclusively," Regina answered boldly from her momentary lapse.

"Oh," Emma said looking forward. She wished the TV was on…something to cause a distraction, because she wasn't sure why she had asked that question.

Regina placed her feet back on the floor, embracing how uncomfortable this information obviously made Emma. "Maybe I should go," she said, trying to swallow some of her dejection and bruised feelings.

"No…no," Emma's hand gently landed Regina's thin wrist. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to know. I'm serious, I'm not judging you. It was an idiotic way to ask and I should have done it better."

Regina allowed her eyes to settle on the blue ones in front of her. "Would you like to order a pizza?"

"Sure!" Emma said, excited that Regina agreed to stay. "We can pick a movie while we wait," Emma said crawling to the floor to look at her movies under the television stand. "What do you like?" she asked looking over her shoulder, back at her friend.

"Whatever you like, Emma," Regina whispered. "Whatever you like…"

It was after pizza, a cheesy comedy and a bottle of wine that Emma had left Regina in her apartment to run out and get; that Regina finally got around to ask the question she had been wanting to ask all night. "What about you? Do you date men, exclusively?" she asked calmly. She watched Emma, a little buzzed from not being accustomed to processing wine, roll her eyes to the top of her sockets.

"I don't know," Emma admitted. "I've only screwed dudes before…but I'm only twenty-two," she laughed despite herself. She grabbed at her glass of wine and polished it off. "I just want people who want me," she settled, shrugging. "That probably sounds strange to you…everyone must want you."

Regina shook her head. "Nope, and never the people I want to want me." It was nearly two weeks later that Regina expanded on that point.

* * *

Two Weeks Later

"You have a doorman," Emma said looking back at the elevator that was closing behind her. Regina could only grin, pulling Emma into her spacious two-bedroom apartment in the middle of Washington DC. Emma had never quite realized how wealthy Regina was, but it finally sank in like a rock to the bottom of a pond.

"It comes with the building, sweetheart," Regina shrugged nonchalantly. She took the bottle of wine Emma was holding and led her friend through her apartment and into the kitchen.

"You're cooking," Emma noted, loving the smell that arose from the kitchen almost as much as she loved the sway of Regina's hips. Regina actually had slacks on, which was the most unusual thing Emma could imagine at this point. She had only seen Regina in tight skirts, and a few perfectly fitted dressed, but never in pants.

"I can cook, Emma," Regina rolled her eyes playfully.

"What are you cooking?" Emma said, standing behind Regina to look over her shoulder.

Regina looked back, noticing immediately that Emma's perfume was different, and her hair was a bit more highlighted. She had been on business in Colorado Springs for the past week and this was the first time she had seen Emma since getting back yesterday. "Paella," Regina smiled back at her friend.

"Smells delicious," Emma noted. "Will the wine go with it?" she asked, moving back to the edge of the kitchen and leaning against the countertop.

"You've never had paella?"

"I grew up in foster care, Regina. I've had rice…but paella was not a thing in my world."

"Sorry," Regina looked down shamefully. "It was a stupid question…"

"No," Emma smiled, hating that she had made Regina feel badly. "I'm just saying, it's something I haven't encountered before. I'm happy that you are making it for us though." She rubbed her hands together eagerly. "What can I do to help?"

"You can put the wine in the automatic chiller," Regina said pointing to something that Emma wasn't sure she knew how to work. Regina's entire apartment reminded her of a William-Sonoma ad, and Emma wasn't sure she could work half of the things around the room.

"Your apartment is amazing," Emma said later, after stuffing herself for dinner. Since meeting Regina, she had gained nearly ten pounds, something she had never done before. Food wasn't always readily available and it was nearly impossible to keep weight on for Emma. "Who helped you decorate?"

"Kathryn hired someone to pull everything together," Regina revealed. "I don't decorate…"

"Not because you can't…but because you work a million hours a week."

"I'm spending a lot less time at work," Regina winked playfully.

"Am I keeping you from your work?" Emma laughed. She was getting used to the effects wine had on her, but she and Regina had emptied a bottle and it was catching up to her.

Regina stood from the table and gathered she and Emma's dishes. After rinsing them and placing them in her dishwasher, she grabbed her wine glass and she and Emma headed to the living room.

"I have no movies," she mused out loud.

"That's fine," Emma said, grabbing the remote. "Can I flip channels anyway?"

Regina chuckled. "Sure," she snuggled on her side of the couch as Emma flipped her more than three hundred channels. She tucked her legs under her and before long closed her eyes. She didn't know how long she had been dozing off, but she sprang awake when she heard Emma say, maybe she should leave. "No, Emma," Regina said grabbing the woman's hand softly. "The wine just …" she was able to get out before she felt Emma's soft mouth on hers. Regina didn't deepen the kiss, but as always when she kissed someone, her eyes sprang open. Emma, on the other hand, had closed her eyes to the risky endeavor she had undertook. When Regina didn't deepen their kiss, Emma pulled back. "Emma…"

"Sorry," Emma said immediately feeling stupid and unwanted. "I just…" the pit of her stomach coiled and she felt like she may cry. However, Regina didn't give her time to retract, she took control this time, pulling Emma's mouth back to hers. She slowly assaulted Emma's senses with first tiny pecks, before she fully engaged Emma's mouth. Emma couldn't help, but squirm. It was as if Regina knew exactly what to do to make her melt.

When Regina finally pulled back, she sighed heavily. "I've wanted to do that for weeks," she announced. She coached Emma closer, erasing the space between them.

"Then, why hadn't you?" Emma questioned meekly.

"It's not about what I want," she stated simply. "I would have to be fine with us being just friends…"

"I don't want to just be your friend," Emma said coming to that realization now. "I want you…and everything that means…"

Regina looked at her blankly. "I'm not sure what that means…"

A slow grin spread across Emma's face. "Like, what we have now…but with kissing and sex, probably."

Regina laughed, a sound that Emma could never get tired of. "Sex probably, huh? So, friends with benefits?"

"To start," Emma said kissing Regina slowly and thoroughly.

Regina licked her lips. "We should stop, before you end up in my bed before you are ready to be there," she warned wickedly.

"Who says I'm not ready to be in your bed now?" Emma pouted playfully. Regina contemplated an answer, which failed her. It gave Emma the opportunity to kiss her again, something she was sure she could never get enough of doing.

Regina tried her best to restrain herself, but she was never going to be good at self-control with Emma. She could already tell this much and before she knew it, her hands were exploring under Emma's tee shirt. The lace bra holding Emma's breasts separate from her hand was becoming an unbearable intrusion, and Regina expertly popped the back snap.

"You've done this before," Emma moaned, against Regina's mouth.

"Not with you," Regina threw off the comment. She stood, pulled Emma from the couch and lead her to the bedroom. She gently pushed Emma onto her bed and slowly unbuttoned her own blouse and then pulled off her slacks. Emma stared mesmerizingly at the woman before her. Regina's body was even more beautiful than she assumed it would, in a matching black lace bra and panty set. "Calm down," Regina warned. "We're going to sleep…"

Emma stared at her disappointedly, but couldn't complain as Regina completely changed into her black lace two-piece teddy. "Do you sleep in something like that every night?"

A perfectly arched brow rose and Regina nodded. "What do you sleep in, Emma?"

"Usually, underwear and topless," Emma admitted.

"Topless, huh?" Regina nodded, placing her knee on the bed and eventually laying down. She watched as Emma awkwardly stripped down to just that. Then she opened her arms, where Emma slowly nestled herself. "You should always be topless," Regina complimented Emma's perfect teardrop shaped breast and perky pink nipples.

"You tell all the girls that," Emma said kissing Regina passionately. "I like the taste of your mouth," Emma whispered, her hands become bold as she explored the small of Regina's back. She stopped just before cupping Regina's ass, not sure if she would be going too far.

"I don't tell any of the girls that," Regina assured her. She felt Emma eagerly nip her mouth again, but she stopped the girl. "I'm sleepy…I wouldn't be any real fun tonight," she said regretfully.

Emma nodded her understanding and settled in Regina's arms. She didn't remember falling asleep, but when she finally woke up, sunlight poured through Regina's bedroom window and she had become the little spoon in their sleep situation. Regina's breath against her shoulder sent chills down Emma's spine, and the fact that Regina's hand rested on her taunt stomach didn't help. When Emma slightly moved, Regina planted a half-awake kiss on the nape of her neck. Her hand instinctively explored lower, and Emma's breath caught in her throat when Regina's finger breached the band of her boy-shorts. Emma closed her eyes again, trembling with anticipation. She knew she was already wet, to say the least, and the fact that Regina's other hand had found its way to her breast, wasn't helping matters.

"Well, you wake up ready, don't you?" Regina teased, biting the side of Emma's neck lightly. Emma couldn't speak, she could barely move, but when Regina's hand moved through the thin hair covering Emma's mound, Emma couldn't help but gasp and relax. With full access to her, Regina tweaked Emma's breasts, before running a finger along Emma's slick opening. Regina pulled Emma's ear into her mouth. "Dammit, you're warm," Regina moaned. She had forgotten how wonderful it felt being inside someone else. Her own wetness was beginning to wax as she hoovered a bit closer to Emma. "Do you want me inside of you, baby?" she asked almost breathlessly.

Emma turned onto her back and opened herself fully. "Yes," her voice trembled, unused and unsure of what was to come next.

Regina slid one finger into Emma, carefully. Emma's tightness was surprising, but not unwelcoming. "Geez," Regina sighed, trying to be patient. She pulled her finger free from Emma's depth and kissed Emma softly. "I don't want to hurt you," she said seriously, looking into Emma's clear blue eyes.

"You aren't," Emma promised. She guided Regina's hand back and parted herself for Regina. Regina worked two fingers inside and Emma arched against her hand. She moaned in pleasure, and couldn't help, but capture Regina's mouth.

Regina worked her fingers in and out of Emma, and eventually maneuvered her thumb against Emma's swollen clit. Emma could feel the pressure building almost to an uncomfortable level. Regina's mouth left hers, and migrated down towards Emma's breasts. It was too much; the pressure of her swollen clit being worried, along with Regina's succulent mouth on her breast, threw Emma over the edge. It was terrifying, the mixture of pleasure, pain and release happening all at the same time, stiffened Emma's body and shut down her mind for a while. She didn't hear her own scream until it had been happening for near twenty seconds. Her legs automatically snapped closed, locking Regina's hand in place, before her body went totally boneless and she completely collapsed against the mattress.

Emma could feel Regina pepper kisses against her hot skin, but she couldn't process thoughts until minutes later. "Sorry," she apologized, for reasons she couldn't understand.

"What are you apologizing for?" Regina giggled, licking Emma's collarbone.

"I don't know," Emma admitted. Her eyes were just beginning to focus again. "I just …I feel…easy…"

Regina propped herself up on her side as she fully extracted herself from Emma. Emma's hand went into her panties, amazed at how sensitive she still felt. "Would you rather it be hard to orgasm?" Regina quizzed. The realization of what had just occurred settled on Emma. She had just come. She turned away from Regina, but Regina wasn't letting her off the hook that easily. "What's wrong?" Regina asked pulling Emma's attention back to her.

"I don't think I've ever come before," Emma's chest heaved gently. "I mean…before that…" she tucked her face away. She didn't want to see the look of pity or disdain on Regina's face.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of, Emma," Regina said smiling as she kissed her. "You don't ever have to apologize for anything we do…especially when it ends in an orgasm…"

"What about you? Do you want me to do something to you?" Emma asked, sitting up on her elbows. In the movies, the women always took turns, but that seemed to be the wrong question from the look she got from Regina. "I'm just saying …in the movies…"

"What movies have you been watching?" Regina asked quizzically. "And when did you start watching these movies?" When Emma's face flushed red, Regina realized that this wasn't a spur of the moment decision for Emma. "I'm sure I'll get my fair share of 'turns' in the future," she said lying back on the mattress and closing her eyes again. She had never been more right in her life.

* * *

Emma found that there was nothing she didn't exactly love about Regina Mills over the next six months. Regina was kind, thoughtful, caring and superb in the bedroom. It was amazing. Life was stable for the first time in Emma's twenty-two years on Earth, and the biggest part of it was because Regina Mills was present. Regina never once made her feel bad, or unwanted or naïve; to be exact, Regina made her feel the exact opposite of all those things. When she felt bad or inept, Regina was there to reassure her; when Emma worried about where she fit into life, Regina reminded her that there would always be a place with her, and when she felt inexperience, especially in the bedroom, Regina guided her to amazing heights.

It was after one of these sessions, that Emma could barely contain herself. She was madly, deeply in love with Regina; but that was not something they openly discussed. Emma figured that she and Regina were friends first; and the benefits of amazing sex was just a perk of that friendship. Perhaps this was why Regina's invitation to New York was so surprising to Emma; still she happily accepted and now was wrapping her legs around Regina's waist.

"I can't concentrate with you doing that," Regina warned as she pored over the documents in front of her. Emma had realized that Regina was a helpless workaholic, yet she never felt openly neglected by this fact either.

"How much do you need to concentrate?" Emma asked playfully pulling at Regina's ear with her teeth.

Regina leaned back into Emma's chest, but sighed. "A lot. I have two more meetings today and Kathryn just got me the audit numbers for the health of the business."

"I didn't know businesses had health," Emma said popping one of the buttons on the silk shirt that Regina had worn to breakfast with Kathryn. "And are you getting audited by the IRS?" She brushed her fingers over Regina's lace covered nipples and felt them rise to attention. She heard Regina moan powerlessly.

"Business have different types of health," Regina explained in some detail, although she could feel her desire rise. "And no, the IRS isn't auditing. My main investor, Mal wants an independent audit, which I am gladly giving her since she has promised to inject another two million dollars in for software certification. If dinner goes well tonight…which it should because she's newly in love, I can begin courting bigger jobs."

"Which means more work?" Emma tried to disguise the disappointment in her voice, but couldn't really. Regina sometimes worked over one hundred hours a week, and that always resulted in not seeing Emma for days on end. She would always call, sometime email, rarely texted, but it wasn't enough in Emma's opinion. Still, Emma plastered on a brave face and patiently awaited the times Regina did have time to spend with her.

Regina turned to look into Emma's soft blue eyes. "No…I'm going to begin delegating more," she promised. "And I can spend more time doing the things I want to do," she said turning around fully now.

"And what would you like to do?" Emma asked slowly.

"You, most of the time," Regina said slyly. Emma broke out into a smile and Regina's eyes softened a bit. "Would you like to come tonight? Mal is bringing her girlfriend and their kids."

"She has kids?"

"Yes, Ursula has two small daughters and Mal has a teenage daughter. From the way I understand it, they are all really close. Mal loves kids …which once you meet her, will be surprising…"

"I don't know," Emma said unsure of how to explain it. "If she's anything like Kathryn, I doubt she'll want me around…"

Regina's brown eyes turned a bit stormy. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing…just that Kathryn is not exactly a fan of me. I think, she thinks, you are kinda slumming it by hanging out with me," Emma revealed, rolling away from Regina.

"Has she said something?" the steel in Regina's voice was now apparent and it frightened Emma for a moment.

"No…no…I mean, I just get the feeling," Emma covered quickly. This was not the time to upset Regina about anything. "Hey, I'm gonna shower," she said. "You finish your work," she leaned in for a quick peck on the lips and exited to the bathroom.

It four days later, after they had returned to Washington DC, that Emma received a gift basket from Kathryn and another two days before she could ask Regina about it. They were laying in Regina's bed, exhausted and quiet from what was some of the most strenuous sex that either of them had encountered, when Emma brought it up.

"Did you talk to Kathryn?" she questioned, rubbing her fingers through Regina's dark hair. Regina had just collapsed beside her and snuggled against her left breast.

"What, sweetheart?" Regina huffed breathlessly. She had never realized that she could orgasm from grinding against Emma's pussy, but every time she made love to Emma Swan, she found something new.

"She sent me a basket. A very nice gift basket…with an apology for …for… I'm not sure. I figure you made her…"

"Emma, I don't make Kathryn do anything," Regina corrected her. "But she is very classy; so, a gift basket is right up her alley for an apology," Regina moved up to the rest against her padded headboard.

Emma joined her. "Regina, you shouldn't have …"

"Wait…" Regina stopped her in her tracks, "As I've said; I didn't make her do anything. However, I won't have you feeling unwanted or disrespected, Emma. You are a significant part of my life and you will be respected as such," she commented easily, but Emma could tell that her anger was rising.

"Regina, what are we doing?" Emma asked meekly. She wasn't sure she had the courage to hear the answer, but the look in Regina's eyes told her this was the right time to ask.

"What do you mean?"

"Am I your …"

"Yes," Regina said blankly. She didn't understand how this wasn't obvious. "I would hope that we've established that you are my girlfriend…unless something is happening on your end that I don't know about," she said tersely.

"No! I mean, we just never say those words," Emma reminded her.

Regina rolled her eyes simply. "We don't say 'I love you' either, but it's there, Emma," she said dismissively.

"You love me?" Emma croaked. Her stomach did a summersault and she didn't know that happiness could mix with fear so readily.

Regina resigned herself against the headboard and just stared at the first and only woman she had officially loved in her twenty-eight years of life. "Don't I show it?"

Emma began bouncing her foot against the bed nervously, "You've never said it…"

Regina looked away stubbornly; trying desperately to protect herself from the wave of emotions flooding her. "It goes without saying," she said quickly.

Emma gently guided Regina's chin until their eyes met. "I need to hear it," she said softly.

"You can feel it, Emma," Regina countered. "And you know that I'm not like this with anyone else…"

"Regina Mills, I am in love with you," Emma mustered up all the bravery her mind would allow. She hated to cry, but she was nervous, and her heart was on the line now. She knew Regina loved her, but if Regina couldn't even say it…was she really in love with her? "Regina, I love you…" she offered again.

The fight that had lodged itself in Regina's eyes dissolved and she melted into the words. "I love you too Emma…I'm always going to love you."

Emma straddled her slowly. "I'm going to hold you to that," Emma promised.

Four Years Later

It took nearly five years for it all to crumble. Five normal years of ups and downs. Emma and Regina's love for one another was obvious, and their commitment to one another couldn't be questioned; but neither realized how fragile it all really was.

"Emma, don't act like this," Regina pleaded, taking off her tailored jacket and kneeling in front of her girlfriend. "It's three months!"

"You wanted babies! Do you not want babies, now?" Emma yelled. She was determined not to let the tears flow down her cheek, so she defiantly stared past Regina, instead of looking into her pleading brown eyes. "You said you wanted a family…with me! Regina, we are trying!"

"We've tried once and we knew my eggs were likely non-viable," Regina said sitting on the couch next to Emma now. She blew out a breath and tried to conceal the massive disappointment their first round of IVF and egg transplantation had caused them both. "Are you pregnant?"

Emma shook her head no. "Please don't leave," Emma begged.

"It's three months. I have to move to the country to set the network up personally. This is a secure and remote site, and the government doesn't just give these contracts to anyone, Emma. They trust my company and it took a lot to get this contract. I can't say no…I won't say no. It will propel my business to the next level…"

"So, Mills Counter-Intel is more important than me?" Emma spat angrily. She didn't know why she was acting this way, but it was humbling. She knew it was coming; Regina had been courting this contract in one of the US's foreign affiliates, but it was a long shot at best. She and Regina had been moving along in life as if it wasn't going to happen; and then, out of the blue, Kathryn called with the "GRAND" news that yes, Mill C-I had gotten the contract. Ever since that moment, things had been deteriorating at a rapid rate.

"Don't do that! You know it's not true."

"I've been fighting with your business for four years," Emma shrugged. "I won't do it anymore, Regina," Emma threatened.

Regina had heard the threat before. They had been going over this for ten days and in three more days she would leave. Ninety-days wasn't long and Emma would calm down. "Baby…90 days. We can make it 90 days," Regina assured herself more than she did Emma.

"I won't stay," Emma said defiantly. She prayed that Regina didn't call her bluff, but three days later, Regina, Kathryn and a team of ten boarded a plane, and two days after that, Emma Swan packed her stuff, her best friend, Ruby, and left DC in a fit of defiance and heartbrokenness. It was another two weeks before Regina realized Emma wasn't kidding about not staying; and another six weeks before Emma realized she was carrying Regina Mills' baby.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry I had to repost this because the formatting was terrible. Please enjoy and leave comments and reviews! :)

Chapter Three

Mal had stepped out of her office. Regina wasn't sure if it were for her benefit or not, but when she hung up the phone, she found Mal in the kitchen with Ursula. Mal leaned against their marble countertop, smiling that smile she reserved only for Ursula. Regina had never had many examples of love in her lifetime, but Mal and Ursula had always been the truest example of two people who actually loved, honored, and cared about each other. Something about the thought of love made her recoil and Regina stopped in her tracks.

Ursula spotted her first, that soft delicate smile that she had once given to Mal faded away in the obvious presence of Regina's misery. "Regina," she mouthed more than spoke. She glanced at Mal, who was staring at Regina. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" Ursula asked firmly.

Her voice sounded like it was underwater to Regina, who barely made it to a barstool on the other side of the counter before collapsing under the weight of the news she had just received. "Emma Swan is alive," she said after what felt like forever. "Completely alive…in Florida," it sounded like babble, even to her, but Regina supposed she was in a mild state of shock. Although she had promised herself to never stop looking, she hadn't really expected to ever see or hear from Emma Swan again. "And you want to know the kicker?" her back had automatically straightened and her voice became laced with steel. "She has a son," she announced to her friends, unceremoniously.

The information elicited no response from her friends; something Regina actually appreciated. She had only said it out loud to become used to the idea in her own mind. She really didn't need other input right now. It was the same thing she had told Kathryn; no outside input, when Kathryn had tried to unravel the mess that was sure to come. Instead, she told Kathryn to get her ass to DC immediately, but only after talking herself out of hopping a flight to Pensacola, Florida that second. Kathryn was in Storybrooke, Maine, happily finishing the preparation at Regina's new compound, and the earliest she could fly into DC was tomorrow morning. It would give Regina some time to think this situation thorough; truly process the complication of her life now.

"Are we allowed to ask?" Regina's eyes cut towards Mal, who had posed the question.

"Ask what?" her voice sounded fragile and unused, as if she were on the edge of crying.

"Is he yours, Regina?" Mal asked casually. When Regina didn't respond right away, she sighed. "Trust me, Ursula and I know every way in the world two women can conceive and have a baby. Until our three became certifiable nightmares, we planned to have more children. Invitro, egg harvesting, sperm donors…the money, the pain…we know it all. Now, is he yours?"

Ursula placed a glass of water in front of Regina, as if cold water with ice would separate fact from fiction in her mind.

"How would I know…I was dating a virtual ghost for five years," Regina took a healthy swallow of the ice water.

"You don't believe that," Ursula shook her head. "I don't believe that. Emma was flawed, but she loved you."

"Is that why she disappeared into the night while I was working for our future?" Regina questioned bitterly. She was quiet for a while, searching the look on Mal's face, who was resigned to say nothing. "It's a possibility," she finally revealed. "We wanted a family. It felt like a good idea; it felt right. Emma and I always felt right," she reasoned. Five years of rightness; right down the drain."

"Mom, can I send you my paper now? I wanna go out tonight and it's finished." No one had heard Crimson come down the stairs, and she stood on the last step with her laptop in hand.

Ursula never took her eyes off of Regina. "Is it properly formatted, Crimson?"

"Yeah, mom, it's properly formatted and everything," Crimson huffed.

"Double check, then send it to me," Ursula requested. Crimson went back upstairs to do as her mother had asked. "Where is she in Florida?" Ursula asked. When she received a blank stare from Regina, Ursula elaborated. "Where in Florida is Emma? And how do you know, sweetheart?"

"Pensacola, Florida. Ruby…Ruby Lucas called Kathryn, I guess," it was all becoming surreal.

"Her best friend called?" Mal said skeptically. "Either you are walking into a trap, or …" she let her words trail off.

"Or what?" Regina asked eagerly, wanting to know the alternative.

"Nope…I don't have anything besides you walking into a trap," she shrugged. Ursula shot her a warning glance, but Mal only shrugged. "Okay, let's pretend like this isn't a trap. What's the best outcome to this situation?"

"She has a son…a child with the person she once loved very deeply.

"Or she's being taken for a ride by the person she once loved deeply," Mal debated easily. She turned to Regina. "What's her alias?" Mal questioned, searching through her phone and settling on a number.

"Why would you assume she has an alias?" Ursula began to question.

"Myrtle Hampton," Regina answered distantly. She had not allowed herself to think that this was a joke or a trap. Leave it to Mal to cut through all the bullshit and delusions.

Mal walked to the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the patio. It was something that Regina could have done for herself, but Mal was take charge in moments of crisis. She would have private investigators in Florida by night's end; a full record of everything that Myrtle Hampton had done in the last three years and was thinking about doing now, in the next twelve hours. Mal was efficient that way; the way that Regina was usually efficient, but she was paralyzed by the unknown right now. And she was not sure she wanted to know them, which was why Mal was taking over.

She stepped back inside, her mission accomplished. Two private investigators in Florida were on the case and one was already getting her all the information she needed to know. "I can fly to Florida myself," she offered, coming back to stand beside Ursula. She stood a bit closer to her than usual, the warmth of the woman she loved, helping her help her friend, Regina. What she didn't want to admit was that it was scary; knowing that someone could do that to another person. That if Emma had indeed, run off with Regina's child, that the cruelty was more crushing than even someone as tough as Mal, Ursula or Regina wanted to admit. Mal knew she had lucked out; Ursula and her daughters had fit so perfectly into her life, it was as if they were always there. There had never been a threat of any opposition to her parenthood of those girls and she had always loved them as if they were her own.

"You have a business to run," Regina said standing. "You've done enough, Mal."

"I can do more," Mal countered. "We can do more…anything you need."

"I think I just want to spend the night alone," Regina nodded slowly. "Figure this shit out in my head. I reserve the right to take you up on the offer later," she tried to sound strong. She couldn't resist the need to collapse in Ursula's arms when the woman pulled her into a hug. Mal wouldn't hug her…only walked her to the cobblestone circular driveway where the car awaited.

"Rest Regina," Mal urged gently. She didn't need to say that hell was coming; Regina could feel that all on her own.

* * *

One Week Later – Pensacola, Florida

"She calls it "relationship maintenance," Ruby said, scrapping the last contents of the ice cream from the cardboard cup.

"And it's only once a month?" Dorothy questioned, wiping some of the ice cream from her girlfriend's chin. She looked back into the distance at Henry leaning over to pet a large turtle that was blissfully pulling at a head of lettuce.

"I don't get it," Ruby shrugged. "I've never understood their relationship, really. It seems so inconvenient when stacked up against what she had with Regina. Sometimes I don't know if Emma even wants to be happy, or if she'd rather just pretend to be happy."

"Maybe she is happy with him," Dorothy offered.

"How can you be happy living in a one room, pay-by-week motel, having your best friend take your son out so you can fuck someone once a month to 'maintain your relationship,' instead of actually being with the person you love? It's so stupid…"

"Emma is an adult; she can make decisions for herself, Ruby," Dorothy reminded her gently.

"You don't get it," Ruby said standing and heading towards Henry. Ruby had been on-edge for a week now, and it was resulting in her snapping at her girlfriend. Dorothy finished her ice cream and threw her cup away.

"Dorothy!" Henry yelled from across the small lawn. "Look," he held up a baby turtle and Dorothy smiled her approval. She absolutely hated reptiles, which showed up much she loved her girlfriend to even be in a reptile park. Henry ran over to her. "Dorothy," he stumbled just before reaching her, but quickly stood up and brushed himself off. "You wanna see a lizard?" he coughed, making his way to her.

"I would love to…but not today, okay? I have to get back home and get some sleep," she smiled.

"I thought you didn't have to work tonight," Ruby said coming up behind the little boy.

"I'm tired, Ruby." Dorothy didn't have to expand on the fact that it was tired of her girlfriend's attitude. "I'll see you next time, sweetheart," she bent down and gave the little boy a hug.

"I'll drop him off and come back to your place," Ruby said attempting to kiss Dorothy's cheek.

"Take your time," Dorothy said icily. "Take your time, Ruby."

* * *

There had been little chance that Killian would actually rise to the occasion, which was a bit of a relief for Emma. She had agreed that since they lived in a one room motel that it would be good for them as a couple to have some time without Henry. One Saturday out of the month, Ruby would come and get Henry for the morning, and Killian and Emma would do something as a couple. It used to start with breakfast, a movie, sometimes going down to the docks; but now it was purely about sex, or the lack of sex, really. For the last five months of so, Killian had no real hope of getting or keeping a hard-on. Emma didn't know what had changed within Killian, but his sex drive had pummeled, along with his attitude.

"I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me, baby," Killian sighed.

"I'm sure it's just stress," Emma cooed comfortingly. She glanced over at the clock and noted that it was nearly three in the afternoon. Ruby and Henry would be back soon and she still had to tidy up the room and take a shower before they returned.

"Stress, huh?" he pulled his boxers up and went to the window. He turned back and looked at Emma. "I can do some shit to you…ya know, just focus on you," he offered imply.

Emma was already pulling clothes out of her bag and heading to the shower. "I'm fine," she promised, closing the door behind her. She took a quick shower and when she returned to the room, Killian was gone.

It made it easier to clean everything up and get ready for Henry, but Emma couldn't help but worry about the state of her relationship. Killian was never great or particularly focused in the bedroom, but he could at least get it up for her. Emma wasn't used to not being desirable; she had been the main focus of one person's desire for nearly five years. And now, just three short years in, a perfectly healthy, red-blooded male was bored with their sex life, obviously.

Emma sighed as she made up both beds and folded all of Henry's freshly washed clothes. It was times like these, when it was quiet and she was alone, that her mind wandered back to her happier days. The days she had spent with Regina Mills. Emma sat on the edge of her and Killian's bed and closed her eyes. Regina Mills, the woman she had ran out on while she was out of the country doing work. Sometimes she wondered how she could be so stupid; most of the time she just refused to think about the woman she once loved. It was so much easier that way.

The knock on the door, thankfully, snapped Emma out of her recollection. She ran over to open the door to Henry, who bounced into her arms. "Did you have fun, kid?" Emma asked hoisting him up on her hip.

Henry nodded happily. "I saw lizards and turtles. Dorothy don't like lizards or turtles," he rambled. Emma sat him down.

"Well tell me all about it, after you wash up," she said and ushered him towards the bathroom. "Thanks for this, Ruby," she said turning to her friend.

"No problem; he's great," Ruby tried to smile. "Where is your boyfriend?"

"God only knows," Emma shrugged. "How is Dorothy?"

"Not too happy with me, but that's neither here, nor there," Ruby tried to laugh.

"It wasn't because of you taking Henry today, was it?" Emma asked, concerned about the impact she was having in Ruby's life. She knew that Ruby would always do what she asked, and perhaps that was coming between her and Dorothy.

"No…it's more complicated than you, Emma," Ruby joked. "Don't worry about. So, when can I see Henry again?"

"Whenever you want. You know Henry loves hanging out with you. I don't know how to thank you for all the help you've been."

"Mommy, what you been doing today?" Henry came back around the corner.

"Waiting for you to get back," Emma said happily.

"Oh," Henry said climbing on his bed. "Can I watch my show?"

"If you can find it," Emma said clicking on the television. "I'm gonna walk Aunt Ruby outside," but Henry was already lost in his cartoons.

"It's hot as hell out here…" Ruby said making small talk as they made their way to her car.

"Is something wrong, Ruby?" Emma questioned, cocking a brow. She knew her best friend, and Ruby was acting strange. It had been nearly a week since Ruby had told her that she couldn't give her any more money, and Emma was respecting that, but her friend still seemed off. "Have I done something to piss you off, Ruby?"

Ruby was about to answer, but something turning into motel parking lot, caught her eye. The large black SUV stuck out like a sore thumb, and it didn't help that it had a certified driver behind the wheel. "Who is that?" Ruby questioned, before the car stopped and her question was to be answered. The driver opened up the driver's side backdoor first, and a person Ruby and Emma vaguely remembered, stepped out on the hot Florida asphalt. The driver scurried around to the other side and did the same, and although Ruby wasn't looking at her best friend, she could feel Emma sucking at the thick air that surrounded them.

"Regina," Emma barely murmured, but she instinctively reached for her best friend's hand. She could hear Regina's heels reverberate against the asphalt as she came to stand before her.

Removing her Prada sunglasses, Regina narrowed her gaze to take slow, deliberate stock of her former lover. "Ms. Swan," she gritted out through a clenched jawline. "Or shall I say, Myrtle Hampton."

Regina's anger choked the breath from her body and Emma was amazed at the fact that she hadn't fainted under the scrutiny and heat. She could feel the strength of Ruby holding her up, but it seemed like the world had slipped underwater and it was impossible to get her breath. She looked helplessly from Kathryn to Regina and her brain finally registered that Henry was just a few yards away. Regina's son was just a few yards away and Regina wouldn't have shown up if she didn't know about the little boy. Regina was here for their son.

"Regina…let me…"

"Run, break my heart…" Regina filled in the blank for Emma. "Explain. You can do one of those things, because you've already done the other two." Regina was poised for a fight. It was all she knew how to do, even though seeing Emma Swan drained some of the fight out of her. Regina chuckled humorlessly. "I only want the truth, Emma," she managed to keep the steely edge to her voice.

Emma opened her mouth, but no sound exited. "Mommy!" she heard a voice call behind her. Emma spun around and Henry was standing in the doorway, a bright smile adorning his adorable face. "I found it!" he bounced happily, before running back inside the room. Closing her eyes, Emma shuddered.

"That's him…" Regina said knowingly. She looked back at Kathryn and then back to Emma. "That's your son? Our son?"

"I can explain," Emma tried again. "But not now…please not now," Emma begged.

Regina bit down on her lower lip. "Where and when? And don't test my patience, Emma. You know I don't have any."

"Tonight…" Emma stammered. "There's a diner down the road…"

Regina put her sunglasses back on. "Tonight, in my room. I'll be staying here," she announced, much to Kathryn's chagrin. She turned to the driver. "Take Kathryn to the Grand Hotel and come back with my things, please."

"We agreed to both stay at the Grand," Kathryn reminded her, coming closer. "This is no place to stay," she whispered, secretly eyeing Emma.

Emma's back stiffened, remembering now why she hated Kathryn Nolan. She had a way of making her feel like trash that still lingered. However, this time, she hoped that Kathryn won out. She didn't think she could deal with Regina Mills this close to her, or sharing the type of accommodations she lived in. It embarrassed her thoroughly to live this way herself, but to also live this way with their son. Emma closed her eyes to the sunlight as she remembered that Henry was indeed, Regina and her shared son.

"I'll be fine," Regina assured her friend. "It'll only be for a few nights. You should be comfortable." When Kathryn looked at her blankly, Regina sighed. "Go, Kathryn. I can take care of myself."

Kathryn eyed Emma one last time. "I hope you can," she rolled her eyes, as she did as Regina asked.

Regina turned back to Emma and Ruby. "Tonight…my room…it'll be the one beside yours," Regina announced before heading into the office at the end of the pavement.

"Tell me this is a nightmare," Emma barely eeked out as she watched Regina enter the office.

"It's definitely a nightmare," Ruby agreed in awe. There was no time to add that she had created the nightmare.

* * *

Flashback – 2013

"You look absolutely ravishing, Ms. Swan," Regina whispered pulling Emma snuggly into her. Regina had been miserable the entire night trying to listen to proposal plans while Emma's lush cleavage peeked above the form fitting red dress she wore. "I'm absolutely positive that if I didn't have panties on…"

Emma turned to kiss Regina before she could finish that sentence. "You are so nasty," she laughed against Regina's mouth.

"Thank you so much for coming to this with me," Regina sighed appreciatively. She slipped her hands down Emma's back until she reached her girlfriend's ass. She cupped it gently and groaned.

"Stop," Emma brushed her off playfully. "Someone could see us," Emma laughed looking around the empty law library. They were at a very boring law school dinner Georgetown University, because Regina had upgraded all of their cyber-security systems. She was the youngest CEO there and the only woman, but she had held her own during the talks, dinner and finally the mingling of millionaires. However, now all she wanted to do was peel Emma out of that dress and fuck her for a couple of hours.

"God," Regina pulled Emma's mouth to hers. "You were the most beautiful creature in that room," Regina said between kisses. "The entire time Dr. Laurie was giving his speech, I was thinking about burying my tongue in your pussy."

"Regina, you can't say stuff like that," Emma said, her clit already pulsating.

"Why?" Regina grinned devilishly.

"Because, I'm already a fish out of water here; I don't want to have soaked panties too," Emma countered, tonguing Regina's lower lips. "Are you really going to eat my pussy tonight?" Emma whispered against Regina's ear.

Regina grimaced, loving when Emma asked her outright. She could barely contain herself. "I'll do anything to your pussy you want me to do," she promised solemnly. She ran her hand up Emma's exposed thigh, but was stopped before she reached Emma's panties. "Emma, you are driving me crazy," she teased, pulling her hands back.

"We'll be home in less than an hour…" Emma reminded her laughing.

"My clit will explode by then," Regina promised. "You should feel it now; it's rock hard…"

"You are so nasty," Emma shook her head, laughing. "How about this," Emma said kissing her girlfriend's neck slowly. "As soon as we get home, you're in charge…whatever you want…. however, you want me… you get it," Emma said looking directly into Regina's dark brown eyes.

"Anything?" Regina stuttered.

"Anything…" Emma said seriously.

Regina took her by the hand and led her out of the college library. She quickly went to coat check and grabbed both of their coats and called for the on-demand car that had driven them to the event. She tried to control her desire, but the glittering amusement in Emma's eyes, prevented her from shrinking her excitement. They were both quiet all the way home, knowing that as soon as one of them spoke, it would be impossible not to ravage each other.

In the four years they had been dating, Regina knew exactly what buttons to push on Emma, and Emma definitely knew what to say or do to drive her wild. It was why as soon as Regina closed the door behind she and Emma, she stopped Emma in her tracks. "Take them off…" her voice trembled with desire.

Emma didn't bother to turn around and face her girlfriend, "In the foyer?" she questioned, trying to keep the laughter out of her voice.

"Ms. Swan…take them off!" Regina said a bit more forcefully.

Emma dropped her handbag on the floor and then balanced on her three-inch heels to carefully take her white panties off. "Better?" she questioned playfully. Regina didn't answer, just unzipped the back of Emma's dress. "You want me naked in the foyer?" she questioned, sliding her arms out of the front of the dress and pulling it down to her waist.

"Nope," Regina stopped her slowly. "Just the bra now," she directed casually. She released the clasp and kissed the place on Emma's back where the straps once lay. She gently pulled the bra off of Emma and massaged her girlfriend's breasts until Emma's nipples stood at attention. She turned Emma around until the woman faced her and Regina took her left breasts in her mouth. She wasn't demanding, only slowly grazing her girlfriend's nipple.

"Regina," Emma moaned. She could handle when Regina wanted to be rough, but she would explode at this pace.

Regina pulled back smiling. "Take the dress off…leave the heels on," she moved around Emma and headed to their bedroom. She pulled off her dress, but kept her panties and bra on, and by the time Emma entered the bedroom, she was lounging on their king-sized bed. She allowed her eyes to fully take in Emma. She had been away on business for five days before, and she couldn't even vocalize how much she had missed her girlfriend. Now, standing in front of her in only high heels and the diamond stud earrings that Regina had given her for their anniversary, Regina was sure she would come just from looking at Emma.

"Speechless?" Emma questioned, pushing Regina back onto the bed and straddling her. She hadn't brought her entire weight down on Regina, but her pussy lips grazed Regina's thigh, sending shockwaves through her body. Emma knew it had been too long since she had kissed, licked and made love to Regina, but that was the downside to their demanding lives right now. Regina was pushing full steam ahead in her business and Emma had went back to college.

"You always leave me speechless," Regina said pulling Emma down on her lap and kissing her forcefully. She spread Emma's leg wider as she tongued the slope of her lip. Placing a hand against Emma's midsection, she felt her girlfriend shiver under the pressure and smiled. She moved her mouth down to Emma's neck and bit gently. "Did you miss me, Emma?" she asked as her fingers reached the curve of Emma's thighs.

"Regina…come on," Emma growled against her lover's ear.

Regina cupped Emma's sex, slowly feeling Emma's sex pulsate. "You didn't," Regina feigned a pout and withdrew her hand after swirling a finger around Emma's engorged clit. She leaned back, but not before putting her finger in her mouth, which caused Emma to let out a fragile huff. "That's unfair, Emma…because I spent five days thinking about how your pussy tastes," she revealed, slighting thrusting her hips upward. "Development meetings, thinking about your pussy, budget proposals, thinking about your breasts, investors dinners, thinking about how you would call out my name tonight….and you don't think about me at all," she grinned a little at her teasing.

Emma had closed her eyes; her wetness becoming unbearable. She reached between she and Regina's body, but was stopped before she gage her own wetness. Regina expertly flipped her onto the bed and stretched out on top of her. "Play fair, Regina," Emma whispered, desperate for her girlfriend to relieve some of the tension that had built between her legs.

Regina didn't have the heart or energy to keep this up much longer. She nestled herself between Emma's open legs and began to kiss her way down Emma's taunt body. After kissing her ribcage and the apex of her hip, she opened her girlfriend a bit wider. Emma had trimmed the dark blonde hair covering her sex, and Regina smiled as she ran her index finger over the covered mound. Emma jerked slightly. "You can't be that close," Regina frowned.

"It's been too long," Emma whined, as Regina stopped the torture and inserted two fingers inside her girlfriend.

She was always amazed at how Emma swallowed her fingers and she couldn't resist the temptation to add a third. Regina heard Emma's grunt just as she flattened her tongue over the woman's sex. It was the taste of total surrender; a taste that she had missed for nearly a week. She plunged her fingers in a few times before truly focusing on making Emma explode in her mouth. Opening her girlfriend's legs wider, Regina was granted the access she needed to drive Emma wild. She took her clit between her teeth gently, then release it to fully lick Emma's outer lips.

"Dammit! Shit," Emma squirmed. She was too close now and could actually feel her toes curling. She opened her legs wider and toyed with her nipples as she felt Regina's mouth close in again. "Gina," she croaked, "I'm so close," she could feel her orgasm build in her stomach and cursed herself for being this quick. Regina pulled Emma closer to her mouth and devoured her. Her strokes became savage and Emma was powerless not to come apart. "Re…" her body rolled into one spasm after another as Regina pulled back to watch the exquisite peak of Emma's desire.

Regina kissed her way back up Emma's body as the woman tried to recover from the energy expelled through her orgasm. She moved to Emma's side and brushed aside the blonde hair that stuck to her girlfriend's forehead. Small beads of sweat had broken out on Emma's forehead, cheek and against her collarbone. Regina wiped them away, and searched Emma's emerald green eyes. "I love you, Emma Swan," she said almost sadly.

Emma recovered slower than usual, but noted the sadness in her girlfriend's voice. She scrambled to sit upright, her body still fraught with desire, but her mind troubled by the shift on Regina's face. "What's wrong," she asked cupping Regina's face tenderly.

"Nothing," Regina shook her head. "I just love you."

"And that's the reason you are sad?" Emma wasn't buying it. "Talk to me, baby," she implored, laying back beside the woman she loved. When Regina said nothing, Emma sighed. "I missed you," she turned over and pulled Regina tightly to her. "I hate spending one second away from you…five days was damn near unbearable." She kissed Regina and pulled the taste of herself from the woman's lips.

Regina's eyes brightened some, but she couldn't stifle a yawn.

"I love you so much Regina," Emma said, spooning Regina with her nakedness. "But you're exhausted," she murmured. It wasn't long before she heard Regina breathing heavily. The work schedule her girlfriend kept was impossible and Emma understood completely how exhausted she must have been. She kissed her neck, but pulled away enough to be able to use the bathroom, wash the makeup from her face, brush her teeth and put on a pair of boxers for bed. Curling back beside Regina, Emma smiled, knowing that she would be with this woman forever.

It was that feeling that bolted Emma out of bed at eight the next morning. While Regina still slept soundly, Emma began preparing breakfast. She fiddled with the percolator until the coffee was on, and managed to wash and cut up strawberries, mixing them with blueberries and raspberries, before mixing the ingredients together for pancakes. The pan was just heating up when she felt Regina wrap her arms around her waist. "Baby," Emma pouted. "I was trying to surprise you with breakfast."

"You are doing a wonderful job," Regina nipped at Emma's earlobe. She felt refreshed. She had taken a hot shower to wake herself up and was now sporting a pair of silk pajama bottoms with a matching shirt.

"I wanted to surprise you in bed," Emma said turning to face Regina. "God, you are beautiful," she said, looking at Regina unadorned with make-up.

"I'm glad you notice," Regina laughed heartily. "Let me finish breakfast," she offered.

"No, you always cook or we go out. I can pull together breakfast," Emma swatted her hand.

"Well, fine," Regina said smacking Emma's ass. She reached out and pulled a strawberry to her lips as she went over to a barstool. "I want eggs too," Regina announced.

"Fair enough," Emma looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Did you sleep well?" she asked making three perfect pancakes.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about last night," Regina looked down.

Emma only laughed, placing a coffee cup in from of her girlfriend. "I get it…I felt the same way a couple of nights ago after exams," she said pouring the coffee.

"Have your grades come in yet?"

"Sometime today," Emma said placing the pancakes with berry toppings in front of Regina. "How do you want your eggs?"

"Don't worry about them," Regina said taking a bite into her pancakes. "Jesus, these are delicious."

"You're just really hungry," Emma giggled. She had become a better cook since being with Regina, but she was still no gourmet chef like Regina Mills.

"I ate very well last night," Regina quipped. She smiled at the way Emma's pale flesh flushed red.

"How did your business trip go?" Emma asked taking the fork away from Regina.

"Very well…very well," Regina repeated herself twice. "The new software should be ready by June and we got the contract to upgrade the cybersecurity for the Massachusetts state department. We are becoming prolific on the East coast. Which means, I should probably make some permanent roots here."

"Don't you have permanent roots here?" Emma cocked a brow. She and Regina had been going strong for years, even though they seemed to keep things more casual than most couples. They didn't officially live together, mainly because Emma was committed to pay half of the rent for Ruby and she enjoyed the illusion of her independence.

"I was thinking of buying a house," Regina clarified.

"In DC?"

"No…likely a condo in DC…the housing marketing is a little precarious here. But it would be better economically if I had a headquarters on the East coast. I was thinking Maine, New Hampshire or Delaware? Good property value and very good incentive for business…."

"Regina you're babbling," Emma warned.

"I want us to buy a house," Regina said abruptly. Regina watched as Emma's green eyes widened and couldn't decipher what emotions were playing out over her face.

"Buying a house together is a big step, Regina," Emma's voice deadpanned. Emma walked over to the other stool and sat. "What will that mean?"

"That we have a house instead of this apartment," Regina tried to downplay the gravity of the situation. She felt vulnerable and this was beginning to feel like a rejection.

"Regina," Emma's voice chastised.

"This is the most serious relationship I've ever been in Emma. My company is growing, I'm happy and successful and I want to take the next step with you. I want to solidify that…"

"I can't help you pay for a house," Emma sighed, feeling automatically inferior. Although Regina never asked her to help with the financial burden; Emma was paying for her own car, half of the rent for Ruby and now student loan payments."

"I'm not asking you," Regina said quickly.

Emma thought about it for a moment and nodded her understanding. "Okay," she slowly began to grin. "I'd love to have a house with you."

"Seriously?" Regina sounded shock.

"Yes! Of course!" Emma beamed. "Of course, I want to have a house with you, Regina. I love you so damn much." She stood up and nestled herself in-between Regina's legs. "Can we have a big yard…I've never had a big yard…"

Regina giggled, kissing Emma soundly. "We can have whatever you want, baby."

"Yeah, a big yard. And then when we have kids, we can build one of those very fancy play sets, with the swings and slide…" Emma said excitedly. Emma noticed a cloud of sadness rush over Regina's face. "What's wrong?"

"Emma, you know I can't have children," Regina reminded her miserably.

"No, you said you can't carry children," Emma corrected her. "There are other options. I've looked them up. I could carry our kids…we could use your eggs."

"I'm not sure I have any viable eggs, Emma," Regina sighed, filling with embarrassment. She looked down into her lap, but Emma redirected her gaze to her.

"WE can try, baby. I would hate myself if we didn't try to have a little boy with your beautiful brown eyes or a little girl with your dazzling smile. Let's try, Regina. I want to have your baby."

Regina thought about it a moment. "I don't want to disappoint you," she whispered, sinking into Emma's cleavage.

"You could never disappoint me," Emma assured her.

Regina looked up at her and nodded. "I'll get us an appointment…" Regina couldn't finish before Emma was kissing her. "Yeah…let's try," Regina said with finality. She couldn't imagine loving anyone more than she loved Emma Swan at that moment. Nothing could possible go wrong between them.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"He's a prolific liar," Regina said slipping her feet from her heels, but then thinking better of it. The carpet couldn't be clean; properly clean, and it made Regina itch to even think about having her stocking-covered feet touch the floor.

"You may need that prolific liar one day, so, be nice, Regina," Kathryn said, taking a deep breath. "His meeting is on your calendar for Monday morning."

"Did you do that on purpose?" Regina questioned. She heard a sharp intake from her best friend again and release. "Are you smoking Kathryn?"

"I'm allowed some latitude here, Regina. I'm in hot ass Florida for a terrible weekend of confronting your ex-lover."

"You didn't have to come," Regina reminded her plainly.

Kathryn exhaled again. "And leave you to your own devices; with Emma Swan? I'm not an idiot, Regina." Regina could hear her release the final puff of the cigarette before smashing the butt out. "What time is she coming?"

Regina looked at her watch. It was half past five now. "I have no idea…it's not night yet," Regina answered.

"It's a bad idea that you see her alone, Regina."

"You said to make her feel comfortable. Don't threaten or scare her off…get her to agree to the maternity test and then you will help negotiate the terms of our shared custody…"

"I know what I said," Kathryn confirmed. "It still doesn't make this a good idea. I happen to know you better than I know any other person in the world…even more than I know my own husband, and I know that you can handle this. Theoretically though, Regina. You can handle this theoretically; you can sit down with Emma and play cold and unforgiving…but you'll eventually crack under her, Regina. Just let me handle this for you."

"And what are you going to do? Hit her with a maternity suit; scare her enough to make her pack up the little boy and run…"

"She can't escape you now," Kathryn countered.

"It's not about escaping me, Kathryn! I want something easy for him! If he's mine…he deserves easy…it's not as if I ever had it that easy; lord knows Emma never did," Regina blurted out before she could stop herself.

Kathryn was quiet for far too long on the other side of the phone line. She cleared her throat finally, "I got you a suite here," she announced, "and told the driver to pick you up at nine…it's not the kind of neighborhood I'm willing to travel to in the dark, so he'll be alone. I'll be at the hotel bar when you get in," Kathryn said firmly. When Regina didn't protest, Kathryn considered it a win. "Until tonight, Regina."

"Indeed, Kathryn," Regina hung up her cell phone and tried to make herself comfortable. Her head throbbed from the intense humidity and the fact that it took two gin and tonics to calm her nerves on the plane. She leaned back and closed her eyes for a moment, not realizing that she had fallen into a nap until a knock on the door made her open her eyes. She pulled her heels securely onto her feet and answered the motel room door.

"You're earlier than I expected," Regina nodded, knowing that it would be Emma. She was not disappointed, even though Emma looked jittery and distressed.

"This is not something to prolong."

"I suppose over three years is long enough," Regina quipped. She moved to the side. "Please come in," she watched as Emma passed her. "Where is he?"

"Henry?" Emma said turning to look at Regina. "He's in the room with Ruby," Emma revealed slowly. She couldn't shake the feeling that Regina would take Henry and run at any given opportunity, so she had begged Ruby to stay with him. Emma sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Regina sat in the chair across the room. It all felt so surreal. Emma had barely managed to walk over, and when she knocked on the door, she half expected Regina to punch her in the face. It would have been warranted, but in reality, she knew that Regina would never lay a hand on her. When Regina made no effort to talk, Emma took a deep breath and began. "Regina, I'm sorry…"

"That's not important," Regina shook her head wearily. "I don't need an explanation, or an apology. If he is my son," her voice quaked even saying it, "then I have a right to co-parent him."

"Co-parent?" Emma croaked. The phrase took her by surprise; she was much more accustomed to the conquering Regina. She had expected the worse; assuming Regina would demand custody and bury her in the courts until she got her way. "Co-parent?" she repeated as the words felt funny on her tongue. "What does that mean?"

Regina drummed her manicured nails on the cheap table top and sighed. "I need a DNA test done on the boy first," she avoided saying his name once again.

"Henry...you want a DNA test on Henry?" Emma empathized his name. "He is your son, Regina…"

"You'll understand why your word doesn't mean a damn thing to me, right Emma?"

It stung; no, it ripped her to the core. The pit of her stomach tightened and Emma could feel the tears pooling behind her eyes. "He's yours," her voice sounded like it would break at any moment. "But if you need proof…"

"I do," Regina said firmly. She was actually amazed with herself. Four years ago, she couldn't be in the room with the blonde without wanting to ravish her, and then she went through the complicated phase of wanting to murder Emma Swan at the mere thought of her; but now…Now, she was indifferent and although it wasn't the best feeling; she could live with indifference.

Emma moved closer to the edge of the bed. "Killian and I can take him to get tested at the local hospital tomorrow…"

"Killian? What is a Killian?" Regina asked. It hadn't been her intention, but all of the niceties had left the room. All that was left was Regina's strangling anger and Emma's immediate guilt at even mentioning his name.

Emma wet her lips, trying to stave off the dryness in her throat now. "He's my boyfriend."

Regina's brown eyes dropped off their warmth and the anger pierced through to the surface. A boyfriend…she would have laughed if she hadn't been so furious in that moment. "A boyfriend?" Regina's voice was still even and smooth, but Emma knew the signs of her rage. She licked the tiny indenture about her lip that was a scar from childhood and closed her eyes. She regained what little control she had left. She needed to think about the big picture, and if this little boy was in fact hers, who Emma Swan was fucking, wasn't in her big picture. "Aren't you full of surprises, Ms. Swan?" she bit back bitterly. "Kathryn has the paperwork for you to sign if you agree to the testing on the boy."

"His name is Henry, Regina," Emma raised her voice this time. It intimately irked her that Regina refused to say her own son's name. Regina was too calm, which made her unpredictable and Emma couldn't stand an unpredictable Regina Mills. It frightened her to the core, because even though she knew all the love that Regina possessed, she also knew how driven and vindictive Regina could be if she needed to be.

Regina coolly ignored the outburst. "A local hospital, tomorrow morning," she agreed. "That way I can fly out of here…I have work to do," she said cockily. Regina was no fool and if there was a way to get under Emma's skin, prioritizing work would do it.

"So, what? You are just going to get your test and then abandon him for your work, Regina? Slip in playdates with your son between board meetings? That's the mother you're going to be? Are you going to use him as a pawn against me? You gonna be the type of mother your mother was?" Emma blurted out before she had time to stop herself. Cora Mills was off of limits in the realm of discussion and for good reason, but hurt feelings never fought fair and the thought of Regina putting work above Henry infuriated Emma.

Regina swallowed thickly, feeling as if she had been punched in the gut.

"I'm sorry," Emma said in horror at her own words. "I…didn't mean the last part." When Regina's icy glare gave her no reprieve, she huffed. "I didn't mean the stuff about Cora; but I want you to take Henry seriously…he's not going to be one of your possessions," Emma stated firmly.

"One of my possessions?" Regina tried to not let her anger swallow her whole. "You kept him from me for three years! I missed his birth, his first tooth, his first steps…I don't know when his last doctor's appointment was, his dentist appointment, if he's healthy or happy…I don't even know his birthday, Emma! And you have the audacity to lecture me about treating our son like a possession!" Regina could feel her blood boiling. "We can do this the easy way, Emma…or we can do this the difficult way…"

"And the difficult way is what…you using all of your money to take Henry from me?"

"I never wanted to take him from you…I wanted a family Emma…and I'm still trying to figure out why that wasn't a possibility. What was so wrong with me..." Regina stopped herself, sucked in a long breath and shook her head. Standing and heading to the door, she opened it to the hot evening air. "Tomorrow morning…"

"Regina…I'm sorry," Emma said slowly, but sincerely.

Regina thought about the sentiment for a moment. "Then don't make this difficult, Emma. I don't plan to…"

* * *

"You seem stunned," Ruby said looking concerned, but still focusing on the pretend card game that she and Henry were playing. "Did she saw something really mean?" Ruby stopped, knowing she sounded naïve to say the least. "Did she threatened to take …" her eyes travelled to the little boy flipping the card over in front of her.

Emma sat beside Henry and kissed his forehead. "No…she was…" Kind was not the word, but Emma used it anyways. "She just wants to know for sure. Paternity test…"

"Maternity test," Ruby corrected her slowly.

"Tomorrow morning and then we'll figure it out. She doesn't want to be difficult. If she wanted to be difficult; she would have come in guns blazing. I know Regina," Emma admitted sadly, but truthfully. "She's more hurt than angry." It was a small, but true admission and it ripped Emma apart.

"How do you know?"

Emma looked at her best friend, but didn't answer that question. "I have to tell him, Ruby. I have to tell him the truth."

Ruby thought about it for a moment and in a way, it startled and then disgusted her that Emma was more worried about Killian than about what she had done to Regina, Henry or herself for that matter. "You didn't owe him your past life story."

"What life story?" Henry asked taking two cards from the deck.

"Don't worry about it," Ruby said tickling the little boy. "Hey little man," she smiled. "Do you want to stay with me and Dorothy tonight? We'll have pizza and breadsticks!"

"Yay!" Henry agreed happily.

"She wants a blood test?" Ruby questioned.

"I guess," Emma nodded. "Tomorrow morning. She's flying out by Monday; business meeting. I'll pick him up tomorrow morning." Emma didn't have to say that it was okay for Henry to stay with Ruby, or to thank Ruby for the offer. She had to talk to Killian tonight and it would be so much easier without her baby boy bouncing around; not to mention the fact that she was still skeptical of Regina's new, easy-going, compromising side. This would all come to a head. Emma was only surprised that it didn't completely fall apart with the mention of Killian.

Regina had never been completely jealous of the fact that Emma had dated men before her. Regina really had no insecurities about much of anything, because she was Regina Mills, although one time, Emma had actually seen a crack in her armor.

* * *

Flashback

On Friday nights, they went their separate ways. They had cultivated different interests and neither Regina or Emma planned to give up as much; therefore, on Friday nights, they went their separate ways. It was usually a jazz club, opera house or symposium for Regina, and a sporting event, a concert or a bar for Emma. They had done these events together, before, but found that the other got bored too easily when not in her own zone. Especially where music and sports were concerned. Regina watched something called cricket, which Emma assumed for a very long time was an insect, and Regina resented names like the Redskins for a football teams or a basketball formerly named after bullets. So, on Friday evenings, when Regina wasn't away, they spent their time separately.

"Kathryn wants to have drinks at her condo on Friday," Regina once said. Emma had nodded her agreement as she dozed on the couch.

"We don't have to stay for long," Regina had whispered in her ear as they rang the doorbell at Kathryn's. "Thirty minute tops," she played with the top button of Emma's button-up baseball jersey. She was going to a National's game that night; Regina had given her tickets right above the dugout and she was beyond excited. Ruby was meeting her at Kathryn's and they would take the train to the stadium.

"Thank you for the tickets, again, Regina," she cooed, kissing Regina's neck.

"I knew you would enjoy them," Regina said giving her a quick peck. "What exactly are dugout seats, anyways?"

Emma didn't have time to answer, because Kathryn opened the door. Her open dining room was already filled with people, her aloof and absent husband David meandering around the room like a lost puppy. Kathryn was all about imagine, something that Emma truly hated, and appreciated the fact that Regina didn't seem to give a damn about such surface pursuits. The time wouldn't past quickly enough and Emma had barely touched her first drink before she was fed up with the atmosphere. She wouldn't have been paying much attention to anything if she hadn't heard the words "bisexual" being at play numerous times in conversation. She made her way back over to the handmade butcher-block countertop and accepted another glass of wine, which was flowing like water.

"I just don't get it," Kathryn shrugged nonchalantly. "I can understand liking men or liking women, but both…come on…"

Emma watched as Regina's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps it's not for you to understand," she finished her glass of wine and waited for it to be topped off by her friend. Numerous people nodded their agreement with Regina, although Emma was not sure whether it was because they agreed, or always deferred to alpha Regina.

"I'm just saying, don't you think …"

"I don't think about other people's sexualities…. I find that it's their business," Regina said smoothly.

It was handled in the manner that Regina handled everything; smoothly, confidently, and without rebuttal from anyone else. Still, the conversation plagued Emma the entire evening and into the next morning, which she and Regina spent together.

"Does it bother you that I'm bisexual?" Emma had never used that label on herself, but she knew that was the label everyone would use for her. Emma sat up from under the counter and looked up at her girlfriend. She was fixing the dripping sink that drove Ruby crazy, but couldn't ignore the fact that this was driving her crazy. "I mean, does it bother you that you are my first girlfriend?"

Regina cocked a brow, but didn't answer.

"Regina," Emma huffed. She went back under the sink and tinkered a while longer. "It's okay if it bothers you…" she yelled over the noise of her fixing the sink. "Can you turn the faucet on?" she called out. She heard water pouring down the drain. "Yes!" she rolled from under the sink again. "Regina…"

"Yes, dear," Regina took another sip from her coffee. It was eleven in the morning and she was on her third cup already. She had ended up at Emma's for the night and now she was watching her girlfriend play plumber and talking about her bisexuality.

"Does it bother you?"

"I'm pretty sure I answered this last night," Regina answered easily.

"You didn't," Emma said standing now. "Have any of your other girlfriends been bisexual?"

"Why are we talking about this?"

Emma moved over to Regina and wrapped her in a hug. "Because, sometimes I feel like it bothers you…" she whispered against her girlfriend's ear. She heard Regina put her coffee on the counter behind her and sigh. "Doesn't it bother you, baby?" Emma asked seriously concerned now. They had never talked about this and it would kill her if Regina actually worried about it.

"Why would it bother me, Emma? You're with me now…"

"Of course, I am and I love you," Emma confirmed quickly. "It's just that when we …you use things in bed, you are kinda …hesitant." She felt Regina tense up and pulled back. "Baby…talk to me about this…"

"First, there is nothing to talk about and secondly, I wouldn't be talking about this in the middle of your kitchen, which you share with Ruby."

"Ruby knows we have sex," Emma tried to joke, but it fell flat. Regina bit down on her lower lip, the way she did when she thought about something too deeply. "Come on," Emma took her hand gently and led her girlfriend to the bedroom. "Regina…"

She started barely above a whisper, "It's good for me," Regina began. "Making love to you is amazing for me…"

"Making love to you is amazing for me," Emma agreed. "It's why I want to do it all the time," she cuddled closer to Regina.

"But you don't just want me, sometimes Emma," Regina looked down at the floor instead of her girlfriend. "And I know you are bisexual…"

"What does that have to do with anything…" Emma stopped herself as realization washed over her. "You think because I like strap-on sex it's because you aren't doing something, right?"

"Lower you voice, Emma," Regina's face flushed red.

"Ruby is asleep and she knows we have sex…"

"That's not the point," she sighed through gritted teeth. "And I don't want to talk about this…"

"Regiiina," Emma whined unintentionally. "I love fucking you."

"That's vulgar," Regina frowned, even though those words settled her some.

"I just like penetration sometimes," Emma tried to explained. "But I come because it's with you, Regina. I always come with you," she stated honestly.

"Then why do you need the…"

"Strap-on?" Emma finished, because Regina was obviously uncomfortable. "Can I ask you a question?"

"When have you ever not asked me a question," Regina asked, wrapping a strand of Emma's blonde hair around her fingers.

"Have you ever had a strap-on used on you?" Emma questioned. She knew in the time that they had been dating, Regina had never showed any inkling in being penetrated that way; although she enjoyed a wide variety of things in bed.

"No!" Regina seemed genuinely offended by the question. Regina backed up and ended up bumping into Emma's bed. She sat down forcefully, and frowned at the question again.

Emma stood over her girlfriend for a second before bending down and kissing her slowly. She sat down beside Regina and looked at her thoughtfully. "Sometimes, I think about being inside of you, Regina," Emma confessed slowly.

Regina looked at her carefully, but not judgingly. "You've been inside of me, Emma," Regina arched an eyebrow challengingly.

"Not my tongue, or fingers…but to be above you…or," Emma licked her lips slowly, "behind you; slowly entering you," Emma felt a ball of fire flood her stomach. She had thought about it so much; she didn't expect to be telling Regina this way, but she needed to understand that this had nothing to do with being bisexual and everything to do with pleasure. When Regina didn't snicker or protest, Emma continued, "It would feel so amazing," Emma said rubbing circles on Regina's arms.

"It wouldn't…"

"It does when you do me," Emma smiled, thinking about the last time she and Regina made love. "Remember last time, when you spread my legs…"

"Emma…" Regina said tightly. She loved it when Emma talked dirty to her and this was going to quickly get out of hand.

"I'm just saying," Emma smiled, placing three fingers on Regina's exposed knee. "One day, you'll understand that it isn't about me being bisexual. I love you inside of me; the entire process…"

"But it's not me…it's silicon…"

"It's you, Regina. Your rhythm, your breath on my face, your breasts against mine. All I'm thinking about is you…"

"Fine," Regina was resigned to accept Emma's explanation. "If you say so, Ms. Swan. Now what do you want to do for dinner tonight? I could probably reservations at Rochester's if I make them now."

Knowing Regina the way she did, Emma knew that this was now a moot subject. Regina would think about it, figure it all out in her head, and probably not bring it up for another few months. Emma would let it drop right now, but she couldn't let it go for months. Actually, it wrapped back around the same night, when both Emma and Regina were buoyant on cocktails and champagne and had managed to stumble into their bedroom. Emma shed her shoes, pants and button-up shirt quickly and collapsed face-first on the perfectly made-up bed. Even though Regina was tipsy also, she managed to gracefully undress, hang-up her silk shirt, fold her slacks and put her shoes on her specialized rack in the closet. She finally made her way back into the bedroom, sat beside Emma, and leaned down to kiss her exposed back along her bra-line. She undid the clasp a bit clumsily, but achieved her ultimate goal. Rubbing her fingers across until she grasped the straps, she smiled as Emma moaned seductively. She sat up, peered behind her to see Regina's smiled and shed her bra. She kissed Regina slowly, inserting her tongue slowly.

"Are we screwing tonight?" she asked pulling Regina's top lip into her mouth.

"You'll be asleep before I have my first orgasm," Regina challenged, flickering a fingertip across her girlfriend's nipple. She was awarded quickly with the tightness that the flesh pulled into. But Emma pulled away, adjusted herself and lay against Regina's side of the bed, putting her long arms above her head. Regina tightened her jaw, encouraged by Emma's cockiness and obvious arousal. Emma was going to make her work for it tonight and those were the nights Regina especially loved.

Emma pulled her knees up to her chest, covering her tightened nipples to Regina's gaze.

"Are you going to be difficult tonight, Ms. Swan?" Regina questioned, pulling her lower lip into her mouth.

"I wouldn't know how to be difficult," Emma sighed, teasingly. She always got this way with champagne, which Regina was likely counting on.

"Oh, is that so?" Regina gathered Emma's knees in her hands. She parted them gently and settled in between Emma's thighs. She smiled when Emma readjusted herself until they were touching. "We should do it tonight…" Regina smirked.

Emma smiled up as her girlfriend hoovered over her. "We are going to do it tonight. In a few minutes," she grabbed Regina's ass and pulled her that much closer.

Regina covered her mouth, kissing her roughly before pulling back again. "I'm not talking about that," she laughed when Emma bite the lace around her bra. Emma removed her hands from Regina's ass, and pulled down both cups of the bra until both breasts were exposed. She sucked on Regina's breasts, tonguing the nipple until Regina buckled onto the bed. Emma giggled, realizing that she had the upper hand now.

Beginning tenderly, Emma kissed the side of Regina's neck. "That feel good, baby?" she questioned.

"You know what feels good," Regina moaned her reply. She didn't have time to make any other responses, because Emma had returned her focus to the brunette's breasts. She licked them both savagely, alternating between tenderly pulling them with her teeth and taking the breast into her mouth. Regina groaned her pleasure, opening her legs slightly to allow Emma to settle in between them. Emma would have loved to continue this, but she desperately needed Regina's mouth. She kissed Regina's chin, eyelids and cheeks before she settled on her mouth. She could feel Regina's moving her body upwards.

"We should do it tonight," she said between kisses.

"Do what," Regina questioned, breathlessly.

Emma paused a moment, allowing her blue eyes to settle on Regina's intense brown ones. "Let me show you how good it feels," she implored softly. She almost expected Regina to be repulsed by the idea, but Regina's eyes softened slightly before she quickly looked away. "Regina," Emma said, pressing her pelvis into Regina's, "I want to do this with you," Emma said, sobering up some. She hadn't realized how much she really wanted this until that exact moment.

"We've done this before," Regina closed her eyes, playing at the edges of her own hair with her fingertips.

Emma ran her hand along Regina's thigh and slowly moved her panties aside. She was already wet and Emma couldn't help but notice the heat coming from her center. "Regina…you know what I mean," she struggled to get out. Just the thought of being inside Regina that way gave her spiraling desire that she didn't understand. She captured Regina's mouth again, and found the opening of her sex. Inserting two fingers, slowly, Emma moaned at the heat she felt there. "Let me," she said once their mouths parted. "Please, let me feel you like that…"

"But you can't feel me like that," Regina corrected her. She knew from experience; most of the time she only used a strap-on for Emma's benefit and mostly she just felt distance from her lover. Regina reached down and clasped her hand over's Emma's wrist, making her penetration faster and deeper. "You can feel me like this," she grinded against the fingers.

"Once," Emma said, taking the brunette's earlobe into her mouth. "Once…" she said, feeling Regina become wetter. She was close to coming, which demanded she used her thumb against Regina's clit now. Still, Emma held back, denying Regina what she needed. She didn't want Regina's orgasm yet; she wanted to be inside of her.

"Emmmmaaa…" Regina growled. She saw the determination in girlfriend's eyes, and knew that Emma was serious about this. "This one time…" she said closing her eyes as Emma finally added her thumb into the mix. Emma's mouth covered her one last time, which was really just to cover the scream that came as Regina came. And then Emma sprang into action, removing herself from Regina and entering the master closet, where Regina kept the "box" for safe keepings.

They had five altogether, with three different harnesses, but she and Regina only used one, when they did use toys. The harness was black, and the blue, curved four-inch dildo fit snuggly into it. They had never used this one, and Emma began to worry if it was too big, or not broke in enough, to speak. Still, her clit pulsated just thinking about the fact that Regina had agreed to do this with her. She slid on the harness and fitted its accompaniment quickly, heading back to the bedroom.

Regina was sitting up on the edge of the bed now. She had completely shed her bra, but her panties still concealed her sex. "That's the one you want to use?" Regina sounded more businesslike than Emma ever wanted to hear when sex was involved and it blew some of the wind out of Emma's sails.

"You don't want this one?" she asked cautiously.

Shrugging, Regina realized she didn't know how to answer. "I don't know," she stated honestly. "If it's the one you want…"

Emma sat beside her. "It's your choice, really," she said almost shyly. She didn't realize how disappoint she would be if she couldn't satisfy Regina this way. "Maybe we shouldn't…" she decided after a few moments.

Regina frowned. "I thought you wanted this, baby," Regina said rubbing her back.

"Not if you aren't into it," Emma said sincerely. The mood had nearly disappeared now. She ran a finger over her swollen lips and sighed at the missed opportunity. Before she could grieve too long, Regina took the fingers that had been inside of her and placed them in her mouth.

"I want you," she whispered. She gave Emma a chaste kiss, unsure of how to feel right now. She was nervous, she had never let anyone penetrate her that way, but she trusted Emma explicitly. And she loved the enthusiasm and excitement that was once on Emma's face.

"What if you don't like it?" Emma leaned into a kiss, even as she asked.

Regina took her time, allowing Emma to explore her mouth thoroughly. "I want you," she said again, but this time straddling Emma. She felt the member against her butt and couldn't help the shiver that it sent up her spine. "Taste my breasts," she requested softly. Emma did as she asked and Regina giggled her delight. "Just like that, baby," Regina encouraged. Regina could tell that Emma had gotten back into the rhythm of excitement and was soon lowering her back to the bed. She hoovered over Regina for a moment, just looking down at her.

"You are so beautiful, Regina," Emma managed to get out. She was seriously most of the time in awe of the woman that she was with, but tonight this feeling had wedged itself in her chest more. She brushed some strands of dark hair out of Regina's eyes, kissed her softly on the lips and headed southwards. Gently on the neck, along the collarbone, down the center of her chest, pausing briefly at her bellybutton, but eventually licking her hipbone. "I love you, Regina," she said solemnly.

"I know that," Regina confirmed, moving to cup Emma's face. She pulled her down into a quick kiss, but Emma was feeling the eagerness building in her stomach again. She tried to focus on kissing Regina, but too quickly, she wanted to rip off her panties and enter her. She knew she couldn't be that forceful; even that impatient, but sliding Regina's panties over and down her knees sent a volt of excitement through her she couldn't contain.

"I love you," she said again, this time looking directly in her girlfriend's eyes. She parted Regina's thigh's and dove between Regina's legs.

It obviously wasn't what Regina was expecting and she squirmed against the attention that Emma's tongue lavished on her sex. "Wha..wha… dammit, Emma." She fought against enjoying this, but she was enjoying this. "Emma, don't make me…" her voice sounded distant and breathless. Emma stopped, looked up at her and smiled.

"Don't make you what? Enjoy this," she asked settling between Regina's legs now. She moved her long body across Regina and opened the nightstand on her side of the bed. She looked down to see that Regina was watching her.

"Do you need it?" Regina questioned about the small amount of lube Emma put in her hand.

"It'll be less rough," Emma explained from experience. Regina only nodded, but tensed a little. "I won't hurt you," Emma promised, kissing Regina warmly. "I'll never hurt you." She rubbed the dildo head, before pressing it against the opening of Regina's sex. "Baby, I swear…" her hand went to Regina's hip as she entered her girlfriend just a bit. "Tell me if I'm hurting you…"

"You're fine," Regina managed, even though she squirmed. It wasn't uncomfortable, just new and Regina couldn't relax her body enough.

Emma didn't dare say, relax, because she knew that would be trite. She maintained eye contact until she was further inside of her girlfriend and relaxed when Regina became less tensed. Regina opened herself wider and moved her hands against Emma's back. It wasn't until then that Emma actually established a stroke, one tiny thrust that Regina's hip moved to meet. Emma felt her heart pound in her chest; Regina may actually be enjoying this and it turned her on knowing as much. She delved deeper with the next stroke, and was rewarded with a tiny moan. Her hand moved from Regina's hip now, finding that Regina had picked up her rhythm almost immediately, and smiled when she was able to put the entire length into Regina.

"It feels good…" Regina admitted, almost surprised with the results. She opened a little wider before wrapping her legs behind Emma's back.

Every time Emma withdrew some, Regina's wetness made it hard to stay inside of her. "Fuck," she growled, not wanting to actually be this turned on. Her nipples felt like they would explode and her clit was engorged. She couldn't concentrate on Regina's pleasure like she wanted to, but Regina's meeting her thrust and constant moaning, let her know that she was doing a great job. She closed her eyes and dug in a bit deeper, holding off on pulling back so that she could kiss and tongue Regina's chin, followed by mouth.

"It's so fucking good," Regina whispered into her ear. "We could…" she paused to enjoy the spark coursing through her body. She released her grip on Emma, and pushed her back slightly. She felt Emma leave her completely and took the opportunity to roll onto her stomach. Looking over her shoulder, she grinned devilishly, "from the back," she said soberly, seriously, but with a playful glint in her brown eyes. Emma looked at her ass, stunned for a second. "Emmma, don't stop," she pleaded, coming up on knees.

Emma didn't waste the opportunity. She slid back into Regina easily this time, using both hands to glide Regina's hips. She bent down, kissed her girlfriend's tan spine and then went about doing some substantial work. Her motions were smooth for a while, but the more consciously she realized that Regina, the woman that made her wet at the drop of a dime, was allowing her the pleasure of fucking her from behind, Emma couldn't properly concentrate. It didn't seem to matter to Regina though, because soon she was panting.

"I think I'm going to come," she said with more surprise than pleasure. Emma reached around to grab her breasts, tweaking her nipples roughly. Emma could tell how close Regina's body was to its release and her own body increased its pace. "Ba…by," Regina tried to get out, but her mind lost all function as an orgasm tore through her body. She lost all desire to be on her knees and collapsed onto the bed.

Emma's body was hot and the strap-on suddenly felt confining. She shed it quickly and took her place on the bed beside Regina. She watched, blue eyes wide with lust, as Regina flipped her hair to the side and looked at her, satiated. She ran her hand down to Emma's body, but was stopped. "You're still…"

Emma closed her eyes. "Trust this was enough. Just let me enjoy this feeling." The room was silent for nearly five minutes before Emma turned onto her side and looked at her girlfriend. "That was amazing…"

"I didn't know," Regina said happily, "how good it was…"

Emma kissed her softly. "I told you," she grinned widely. "It's not about a man…it's only about you and me. "

* * *

Present Day

Kathryn checked her watch again, but breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Regina moving through the darken bar. She had chosen a secluded booth, because she knew Regina would want privacy after speaking with Emma. Kathryn was the only person Regina would open up to here, since Mal and Ursula were in DC. They were Regina's team; her emotional team, but Kathryn felt only she could fix this.

"I didn't think you would come," Kathryn admitted, finishing off her martini. She had another one waiting, and Regina's dry Grey Goose martini on the table. "I did not want to go back to that part of town," Kathryn offered as Regina sat in the booth across from her. The bar was nearly empty, but Kathryn wasn't surprised when Regina looked around before she spoke.

"Today has been absolutely hellish," Regina sighed, popping another button and talking a long sip of the martini.

"That's because we are in hell," Kathryn chimed in.

Regina only nodded her agreement and finished off her martini.

"How did it go?" Kathryn questioned slowly.

Regina looked at her friend, stone-faced. "She agreed to the DNA," was all Regina offered. "Tomorrow morning, some local hospital. I've already contacted a doctor there…"

"Of course you have," Kathryn nodding, knowing her best friend's habits. Regina would definitely be in control of this situation from here on out. "Well, at least we can get an answer on that."

"She has a boyfriend," Regina blurted out. The pain in her voice couldn't be disguised. She watched as the bartender personally came over and served her another martini, while smiling at Kathryn. Regina rolled her eyes, but kept her comment to herself. Kathryn didn't seem to notice that young men usually drooled over her; obviously blinded by her unexplainable marriage to that idiot, David. "Killian…"

"What kind of name is Killian?" Kathryn frowned as Regina drowned another martini. She slightly shook her head at the bartender as he began mixing Regina's next cocktail. He winked his understanding and smiled goofily at Kathryn.

"Exactly," Regina sighed wearily. "Thank you," Regina's mood changed a bit more.

Kathryn assumed that Regina was referring to not letting her stay back at that roach-motel. "No problem. I wasn't going to let you stay in that roach motel, Regina."

"I meant for everything," Regina bit down on her lower lip. She could feel tears in the back of her eyes, but utterly refused to let them surface. "This is bad, Kathryn. I know he's my son…I can see it," she swallowed thickly. "I just don't know what's next…"

"We'll figure this out, Regina," Kathryn said placing her hand over that of her best friend. "We'll figure this out.

"A man, Killian…I guess you were right about the whole, bisexual thing,"

"No," Kathryn stopped her. "I was wrong about Emma and you…she loved you, Regina. She's bisexual…I don't know why she left but it wasn't because she needed a man or wanted a man over you. She loved you deeply."

Regina closed her eyes and leaned against the leather booth. She didn't believe Kathryn right now, but it was comforting to think that she was once loved.

* * *

Emma had long ago stopped waiting up for Killian to return at night; although tonight she tossed and turned. She wasn't thinking about him; not much at least. She had managed to think about the first day they had met; at a grocery store in Alabama. Henry was a little over three months old and she had finally gotten him asleep long enough to actually go to the grocery store. He was sleeping peacefully now, even though Emma was worried about her grocery budget and if her car would make it another second, and if she could actually convince Ruby to keep moving around, because her best friend just wanted to tell Regina the actual truth and get back to her life in Virginia… and that's where Killian, the clumsy jackass bumped his cart into hers and interrupted the sleeping baby inside.

He had apologized profusely and eventually stammered his way to convincing her that it was only proper that he pay for her groceries as restitution for the now crying baby that she had to handle while trying to get half a gallon of milk and a box of cereal for her best friend. Before they parted that day, Killian had complimented how cute Henry was, paid for her groceries and managed to get her name and phone number. A week later they had a "date," which consisted of bad spaghetti and Henry throwing up on Killian and after that, they just seemed to naturally fit. He had loved Henry and hated Ruby, so within the year, Killian had convinced Emma and Henry to move to Florida, where he could get better work on a ship and they had been happy for a while. That was until Killian's injury; he lost his hand on site, where he had been drinking during work hours, and Emma realized that Killian was a little more irresponsible than she assumed. He had quickly started taking more pain medication than he needed, and still drinking and soon he was disappearing with whatever money they could scrap together. It was frustrating, sometimes heartbreaking, but it was what she had chosen and until Regina Mills had pulled into the motel parking lot, Emma had done everything in her power not to think about it too much.

"What are you still doing awake?" Killian asked after bumping into the bed closest to the door. He had fumbled with the door so long that even if Emma hadn't been fully awake, there was no way she couldn't be at this point. She lay on her back, looking up at the parking lot lights play off of the ceiling. Killian plopped down on the end of the bed, obviously a little sparked from alcohol and coughed monstrously. "What are you doing awake," he lay back on the bed.

"We need to talk," Emma said sitting up fully and turning on one of the ratty lamps beside the bed.

"About what?" Killian automatically became defensive. He was so tired of "having to talk" with Emma about shit that never got resolved. Couldn't she just shut the hell up and leave him alone one night. Still, he sat up right and looked back at his girlfriend.

At one time, Killian believed he really loved Emma and Henry, but now, he wasn't exactly sure. She didn't have a damn job that was stable, her little boy ran around and got away with murder and her best friend was some dyke running around with another woman. He could do better, he had decided a long time ago; but Emma did manage to keep a roof over their head and she wasn't a bad lay once she could make his dick hard. Too bad she wasn't doing it often for him these days.

"What is it?" Killian slurred, moving higher on the bed.

"Tomorrow morning, we have to take Henry to the hospital," Emma said as calmly as possible. She had seen the car come back and get Regina, which she figured would happen, but still a bit of relief washed over her knowing that Regina wasn't in the room next to her right now.

"What's wrong with the boy?" Killian said searching around in a panic for a moment. "Where is he!" he questioned loudly. He tried to stand up, but gravity took hold on him and he fell off the side of the bed. His handless arm broke his fall and an unbearable amount of pain shot through his body. "Son of a bitch!" he yelled, slamming his fist on the hard floor. "Fuck, Emma!"

Emma scrambled around to help her boyfriend, but he shuffled away from her. "Kill…"

"Don't fucking Killian me," he stammered, trying to save some face. "Where is the little brat?" he redirected his anger at the situation, rather than his clumsiness.

Emma huffed, but sat back on the bed. "He's with Ruby."

"The dyke," Killian managed, feeling better about getting the dig in on her friend. "I don't want the boy around her and her little hard-faced girlfriend. That ugly little bitch could do to find a good man…"

"Killian," Emma rolled her eyes in disgust. "I'm taking him to the hospital tomorrow for a test," she tried to explain, but stopped. She didn't want to have this conversation with him for this reason. She had never really had this conversation with her boyfriend, because she knew that Killian wasn't exactly friendly to gay people; well except for the time they had participated in the threesome, but that was a different story. She could never really tell him about her past comfortably though.

"What type of test?" Killian shook off the haze.

Emma gulped, and closed her eyes. "A paternity test," she barely whispered.

"What the fuck would you need that for!" he nearly screamed. "Who the fuck have you been in contact with! He was positive that she hadn't been seeing another man while he was out, but he couldn't really trust what she was doing when she was out with that bitch, Ruby. He didn't know who Henry's father could possibly be. Emma never really talked about it, but some douchebag was back in her life and encroaching on his fucking family. Killian couldn't even describe how angry he was at this moment. "Who the fuck is this dude? What the fuck does he look like? Who is it!"

"It's not a man," Emma screamed back at Killian. She was tired of his hollering, his angry, and his slurred speech. She tried to calm down a bit when she heard the banging on the other side of the wall.

Killian rolled his eyes, realizing that Emma was obviously talking out of her head. He stood fully and made his way to the bathroom. Leaving the door open, he took a much too long piss and screamed out the bathroom door. "What in the hell are you talking about?" he said leaving the bathroom. "What do you mean 'it's not a man,' what the hell is it then?"

"She's a woman, Killian," Emma said more calmly than she felt.

"I ain't no fucking science teacher," Killian said kicking off his shoes, "but two women can't make a baby…" he hopped back on the opposite bed as Emma and unzipped his pants. "Come over here and help me," he muttered. Emma stayed where she was, which inflamed Killian. "Emma!"

"I was in a relationship with a woman," Emma tried to explain without crying. She failed miserably, but persisted, "and we decided we wanted children…so she and I planned and had her eggs harvested and implanted into me. So, Henry has two mothers…"

Killian's expression turned dark, so dark that Emma thought she may be in danger. However, Killian didn't move, and eventually his confusion and anger turned into open disgust. "What are you talking about? You…you used to run around with women too? What the hell…do you guys travel in circles or something? And you need sperm to have a baby, Emma. So, you can't have two moms."

"Sperm can be bought, Killian," Emma said as if Killian was a complete idiot, which infuriated him some more.

"I fucking know that!" he yelled. Within moments, someone was slamming on the door from the outside. Killian hopped up from the bed, pants unbuckled and sagging gently off his ass, and swung open the door. "What the fuck do you want!" he barked at the young man on the other side of the door.

"What the fuck are you making all this noise for!" the young guy questioned easily. "It's almost midnight and y'all over here yelling."

"Get the fuck out of my face," Killian growled. "It's none of your business what's happening over here, bitch ass," Killian pushed the guy back. The guy didn't allow Killian's hand to get fully off of him before he smashed his fist into Killian's face. The two guys behind him, pulled him back, but Killian launched at the guy before the situation could fully be stopped. What ensued was a mess of epic proportion that left Emma yelling and crying, Killian trying to fight, but eventually being climbed upon and beaten and the cops being called to the roadside motel.

At nearly five in the morning, Emma sat at the hospital, waiting for Killian to be released. He had only been slightly banged up; maybe some banged up ribs and a black eye, but he had gotten booked on disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace. She had managed to beg Ruby to pay his bond cost of another three hundred dollars, and Dorothy had let Henry stay asleep at her apartment. They were going to be medical bills now, and Emma knew that they were going to be kicked out of the only place they could afford to live. She sat in the waiting room, holding all of her tears back, but she physically felt sick to her stomach. She had to bring Henry back here in less than three hours, and at this point, he may better off with Regina Mills, she realized sadly. It felt saddening and sickening, but it was the truth, but Emma was too afraid to face as much. As a matter-of-fact, she was too afraid to face anything right now. She was just happy that Ruby was actually sitting by her right now, even though she knew her best friend couldn't stand her boyfriend.

"You should get home," Emma said looking blurry-eyed at her friend.

Ruby managed a weak smile, "I'm not going anywhere," Ruby confirmed. "What's your plan after this?" she looked around scattered hospital waiting room. When Emma only shrugged, Ruby sighed. "You guys can crash at my place…"

"No…no," Emma protested immediately. "I can't do that to you…"

"There really is no other choice," Ruby said wearily. Ruby already knew she was in trouble and would have to face Dorothy, who, after tonight, would likely leave her. They hadn't really argued, mainly because Ruby had brought Henry with her home, but Ruby knew her time was coming. She was going to end up sharing her apartment with Emma, Henry and likely Killian.

"I can't keep doing this to you, Ruby," Emma said genuinely saddened at the burden she presented to her friend.

"We've been in this together since I was ten, Emma. You aren't doing anything to me," Ruby yawned. "You got this here? I wanna head back to Dorothy's and face the music. I'll have Henry ready by like nine if you are still going to take him to get tested…"

Emma nodded, glassy-eyed whether from lack of sleep or true terror at what was to come, "I'm still taking him. I owe Regina that much…"

Ruby cringed slightly, but Emma failed to notice. "Okay, you still have a key, right?"

"Of course."

"I'll see you later," Ruby punched her best friend in the shoulder slightly and headed to her car.

The silence engulfed Emma with Ruby gone and now she had too much time to think. She thought about Regina, and how she had tracked her down. It was amazingly comforting to know that Regina had still been in search of her and had gone through all the trouble of locating her, but it scared her to think of what Regina might do next. She was a wild card as far as this was concern, and unfortunately, even Emma knew she had the right to be. Emma closed her eyes to the throbbing pressure of a headache now. She had to take a deep breath and think this through. She could stay at Ruby's for now, and she would take Henry to get tested, and she would play nice with Regina Mills. To avoid creating any additional problems, she would definitely play nice with Regina. It was really her option; but that realization was what finally made Emma break down into tears.

 **A/N: Hello all! First I'd like to say thanks for reading and reviewing this story. The comments and reviews means so much to me and keeps this story moving alone. I really didn't want to spoil this chapter by giving anything away at the beginning, but this is really the last "set up" chapter and there will be a lot of Regina and Emma interaction in present day form in future chapters. I hope everyone enjoys and please keep commenting and reviewing!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi all! I just wanna say first, I love the increase amount of reviews in comments I got on the last chapter. Keep it up please, I love knowing what everyone is thinking. Now, this chapter is definitely going to be some insight to how everyone is planning to handle this new situation, which is going to make everything a bit more interesting in the future, I promise :) Remember, there is going to be some suspense in the very near future :).**

Chapter Five

The procedure took less than five minutes, and the doctor apologized for Regina and Emma having to meet him at the hospital. "On weekends I volunteer here," he explained, swiping three separate swabs against each Regina, Emma and Henry's cheek. "These will stay in my chain-of-custody, and I'll be doing the testing myself, Ms. Mills," he assured Regina personally. "I'll test them today; have the results back no later than Tuesday," he vowed. He had gotten a call from the director of a charity very close to his heart that Regina Mills was willing to make a substantial donation if this matter could be handled expediently and privately.

"Mommy, where we goin' now?" Henry questioned, taking Emma's hand as they left the private room at the end of the hall leading off from a small clinic at the hospital. He looked over his shoulder, at the woman who was in the room with he and his mother and then looked back at Emma. "Where we goin'?"

Emma, still running on no sleep, no food and the frustrating sense that Killian was going to be a nightmare today, only shrugged. Although Dorothy was awake and had washed Henry's face and gotten him dress, Emma had to take him before she could give him breakfast. They were already running late according to Emma's estimations, because she knew that Regina would be no less than thirty minutes early. She was of course, right, and when they jogged into the hospital, Regina's name had already been called for their appointment.

Emma looked down at Henry, "Are you hungry, kid?" she asked, warmly. Henry shook his head furiously, yes and bounced. "I want an egg," he announced, looking back at the woman a few steps behind them. He stopped suddenly, holding Emma's hand a little tighter, but eyeing the woman. "You like eggs?" he questioned out of the blue.

It seemed to have startled Regina out of her thoughts and she too, stopped in her tracks. She looked from the little boy to Emma; somehow trying to gage the blonde's reaction. She looked back at Henry, "Yes," she said softly, "I like eggs."

"We could all get eggs," Emma offered slowly.

It was mild when they loaded into the chauffeured car. Emma and Regina on the ends, and Henry wedged in the middle. He wasn't particularly used to riding without a car seat or in a car this big, so he squirmed around, trying to look around and push some of the buttons.

"Henry, quit it," Emma warned.

"He's fine," Regina said looking down at him with gentle awe. Tuesday…she didn't need to wait until Tuesday to know that this was her son. He had her brown hair, her deep brown eyes and although they had never met, her curious nature and quick mannerisms. He was brave, not scared or nervous of anything or anyone, and Regina appreciated that Emma didn't seem to try to squelch that in the little boy. "We're not going far, I'm sure…he can press a few buttons," Regina said watching him look up at her.

The driver drove them about five miles down the road, closer to where Regina had been staying and stopped at a diner there. Henry settled into the red leather booth beside Emma and immediately started using the crayons to color on the kid's friendly paper menu.

"Henry, what do you wanna eat this morning, kid?" Emma tried not to stare at Regina, but it was increasingly impossible. She was gorgeous; still slightly tan, her make-up perfect, her mouth, which Emma always loved, still utterly succulent. She was wearing shorts; a black silk and wool blend that was probably Gucci or some other high-end brand. They fit her as if they were tailored for her curves, and the blue shirt she wore made her brown eyes seem more soulful. She had limited her normal amount of jewelry to just some drop diamond earrings and the Rolex watch her father had given her when she graduated high school. Emma knew the story of the diamond encrusted watch, how dear it was to Regina's heart since she had graduated at fifteen and her mother had quickly moved her out of the house and on to college. Fifteen; the same age Emma had packed up Ruby, and they had disappeared the first time together. They were too similar to feel this different right now, and it sucked all of the air out of room.

"Eggs," Henry answered absently.

"How would you like them?" Emma tried to engage the little boy in conversation; to ease some of the tension at the table.

"Big," Henry chirped and then started laughing.

Emma noticed Regina's eyes light up at his laughter, and then almost a sadness settle in their brown depths. She wanted to apologize again, solicit some type of punishment for her transgressions, but that would be too easy. She couldn't really expect easy right now.

"I meant did you want them scrambled, silly," Emma laughed also. "But what else would you like?"

Henry was going to answer, but turned to look at Regina now. "What's your name?" he asked, realizing for the first time that he didn't know what to call this person in front of him.

"Regina," Regina said barely above a whisper. "Regina Mills," she added.

Henry thought about it for a moment, but didn't try saying either word. "Eggs and the sweet toast," he said referring to French toast.

"I knew the sweet toast was coming," Emma said kissing the top of his head.

"Mom," Henry groaned like a much older kid worrying about how it looked when his mother kissed him in public. He looked back at Regina. "Do you like sweet toast?"

Regina looked at Emma for some clarification. "French toast," she mouthed.

Regina nodded her understanding, "Yes, I like…sweet toast."

"It's good," Henry confirmed on his own.

The table fell back to silent as Henry colored. When the waitress came over, Emma ordered French toast, a scrambled egg and milk for Henry, a meat omelet for herself and listened as Regina ordered French toast with blueberries and strawberries for herself and a large black coffee. It wasn't until after the waitress left that Regina's cell phone began ringing uncontrollably. She looked down at the device and sighed.

"Excuse me, I have to take this," she said removing herself from the table. Both Henry and Emma watched as she headed outside into the Florida morning.

"She leaving?" Henry asked, moving on to a second page to color.

"No, work, probably," Emma said taking a sip of her water.

"Work…work…work…" Henry started chanting gently. He was still chanting this when Regina returned. Thankfully, their food was being delivered to stop his chants.

"It wasn't work," Regina corrected Emma. She didn't want to get started off on this foot. "It was Ursula, checking on me," she said tightly.

Emma looked down, thoroughly chastised.

She turned her attention to the little boy. "Is your toast good?" she asked, offering Henry a delicate smile. He nodded happily. "Good, mine is too," she said taking another bite.

Emma put more syrup on Henry's and tried to cut it up for him. "I can do it," he said taking his fork and trying to do what Emma was doing.

"Well, go ahead," Emma said backing off, but smiling.

"He's very independent," Regina said watching Henry.

"He tries to be," Emma agreed. "They make a pretty good omelet here," she changed the subject.

"The driver said this was the best place," Regina bantered.

"Are you leaving tonight?" Emma questioned openly.

Regina took a sip of her coffee. "It would be better," Regina rationalized.

"For business," Emma finished for her. "Monday mornings are always busy," she said knowing. "Doesn't hurt to sleep in your own bed before Monday morning."

"I won't be going up to Maine; so, I'll just be in another hotel room," Regina offered, bitterly.

"What about the house outside of DC?" Emma asked before she caught herself.

"Our house is gone," Regina said coldly. "A year ago," Regina revealed. "Don't feel bad though; the market had recovered beautifully; I made nearly two hundred thousand on our memories," she pushed her plate to the side, immediately losing her appetite. "So, it's a hotel in lower Maryland; but if this meeting goes well, maybe an apartment there…"

"Congratulations," Emma offered, weakly against the iciness that Regina had just displayed.

"Thank you," Regina didn't know why she blushed, but it was something she couldn't help.

"You've always been very good at work," Emma said before realizing how acidic that sounded.

Regina looked at Henry and then back to Emma. "To my detriment, obviously," she sighed, barely managing to finish off her coffee. "How is this going to work, now?" she asked, her voice trembling. "I mean; you said that what we did today was a formality…"

"Can we talk about this somewhere else?" Emma asked cautiously, looking down at Henry. "There's a beach, a little way up the road…"

"I'll pay for the meal," Regina didn't argue. Twenty minutes later, Henry had taken his shoes off and was running along the white sand.

"Don't get too close to the water," Emma yelled behind him. He stopped, and came back towards his mother and Regina and dropped down to play in the sand. "He likes you, Regina," Emma said thickly. "He doesn't take to anyone like he has to you."

Regina readjusted her sunglasses, feeling a tear escape. "Shouldn't he?" her manicured toes filtered through the warm sand. 'Are you going to stay in that motel?"

"No," Emma decided to leave it at that. "I'm gonna stay at Ruby's for a while…her apartment is open right now…"

That was actually comforting. Regina, against the wishes of Kathryn, was ready to suggest that she not only set up an account for Henry and Emma, but that she also pay for a place for them to live. It kept her awake the entire night thinking about her son sharing a room with Emma and her boyfriend and that had to be rectified immediately, in her opinion. So, she and Kathryn had settled on, no more, than three thousand dollars a month, although Regina knew she would offer rent too, just to expunge the imagine of that motel from her mind.

"Well, that's…" Regina had no words for it; only scratched her head quickly.

"So, Kathryn drew up a document, I'm sure," Emma began, having worked this plan out in her head the night before. "You'll bring it back whenever the results are in. I'll get "child support," you'll get visitation. That'll work; until it doesn't work, Regina.

"I'm going to make it work," Regina said solemnly. "I'm not saying that you don't have to meet me some of the way, though. I'm more than willing to do my part though, Emma."

"Are you serious about not taking Henry from me?" Emma refused to look at Regina, but concentrated on the little boy moving sand through his hands in front of her.

"I want him to have two parents who love him," Regina said seriously.

"And you're coming back this weekend?" Emma calmed herself a bit.

"Wednesday I'm flying in to Georgia to check on some mainframe set-ups my company is doing for a corporation based in Atlanta. By Wednesday night, I'll be back in Florida. I've already booked the hotel. "Maybe I could take you guys to dinner…"

"You'll be exhausted; you'll work yourself into the ground until Wednesday," Emma commented. When Regina said nothing, her eyes found Regina's face, "I know you…" she admitted carefully.

Regina lifted her sunglasses and sighed for a moment. She bit down on her lower lip, watching the sunlight play in Emma's irises. Emma would always debate her, saying that the depths were blue. _"Plain old blue,"_ she would giggle, closing her eyes to Regina's scrutiny. _"Definitely green,"_ Regina would counter; and then she would kiss Emma, slowly, passionately laying claim to what was hers. _"Even if they're only green to me,"_ she would tell Emma, _"they're green."_

Regina cleared her throat and found Henry running towards them. "Look," he held up a smooth white shell to Emma.

"Good find, kid," Emma smiled. Henry put it in her hand and ran off again.

He stopped in the sand and turned to Regina. "I find you one too," he promised, before barreling full speed ahead.

"Is Kathryn coming back with you on Wednesday?"

Regina laughed out loud. It was the first-time Emma had heard that sound in what seemed like decades.

"Of course not," she shook her head, knowingly. "She probably only came to protect you from me this time.

"I don't need protection from you," Regina said quickly.

"How did you find me?" Emma questioned bluntly looking at Regina. Emma didn't know where the question had come from or why she needed it answered; but she needed Regina to tell her suddenly.

Regina wasn't gracious enough to lie to her ex-lover. "Ruby called Kathryn," she said easily.

"I'm sorry…" Emma assumed she had heard her incorrectly. "Ruby?"

"More than a week ago. She told Kathryn you were operating under the alias of Myrtle Hampton and that you had a son; my son."

"Ruby?" Emma was still absolutely stunned. "My best friend called you? I thought you had tracked me down…had been searching."

"You didn't want to be found by me, Emma. You scrubbed your life pretty significantly. You changed your name, past, everything. I came back a month early, almost lost my contract, but you were gone. It wasn't just not answering calls or avoiding texts…. you magically disappeared without a trace," she almost stopped because Henry was running back. "I searched and came up wanting. And then last week, Ruby…"

"Henry!" Emma yelled as the boy came nearer. "Henry, it's time to go," Emma said barely able to hold herself together. She wanted to scream, or cry, or run…actually, she had no idea what the hell she wanted to do. Not only did Regina not search for her; she had moved on likely, and although Emma knew it was selfish, she hated Regina for that fact. Work had been enough; there was probably someone in her bed whenever she wanted her to be, and she hadn't missed Emma at all. It was only Henry that motivated her now, and Regina was true to her word. She would play nice, because she wanted Henry, but in the totality of the situation; Emma Swan had meant nothing to her.

"I wanna look some more…" Henry whined, as she threw him on her hip and carried him back to the SUV. She placed the boy inside and shut the door before turning back to Regina, who was trailing them.

"So, Ruby did this?" she questioned again. "You had given up?" she accused.

"The audacity of you to even say that," Regina's eyes turned cold. "You left with my baby in your womb," she whispered menacingly.

"I was gone over six weeks before I knew," Emma tried to explain.

"Then you turn your ass around and come back, Emma!" she gritted out. "Yeah, I would have been irate, I'll give you that, but it doesn't even begin to express the depth of my hatred for this situation. You had three years to be an adult and at every turn, you chose to be a …" she looked inside and saw Henry on his knees watching them through the window. "Do you really want to be angry because I didn't find you alone?" Regina was testing her own self-control at this point.

"Let's just go back," Emma pleaded. She was through talking and tying herself in knots; at least for the moment.

Regina opened the door and waited until Emma was inside and then walked over to the opposite side and climbed in. Their ride back was mainly quiet, even Henry too confused from the shift in moods to talk. They stopped back at the hospital to let Emma and Henry off. Regina searched her bag and pulled out a new iPhone, handing it over to Emma.

Emma almost made a quip about a tracking device, but she didn't have the energy to fight with Regina anymore. She had too much on her mind now. "I set up a pay account," she said walking them to their car. "Three thousand is already loaded…I think you can get it put on a preloaded debit card."

"Kathryn doesn't know about this, does she," Emma said taking the phone and tossing it in the passenger seat.

"Kathryn doesn't control me, Emma," Regina said firmly.

"No one could even control you, Regina. I know that better than anyone, remember?" Emma helped strap Henry into his car seat. She went to open her door, but Regina's hand on her wrist, stopped her.

"I'm trying not to be the problem here, Emma," she said with sadness cloying her words.

Emma looked past Regina, but couldn't fight off the tears. "I know," she swallowed thickly. "I know, but it hurts…"

Regina looked at her with amazement; for her to even consider that this situation was less painful for her. "What hurts?" she questioned, regardless.

Emma blue-green eyes shimmered with tears against the midmorning sunlight. She wasn't dumb enough to believe she had the right to answer that question truthfully. "Wednesday night, right?"

"All my contact information is in the phone. If he needs anything before Wednesday…that you can't take care of…"

Emma wiped her face quickly. "You should call him, at night, let him get used to your voice," she suggested mournfully.

Regina looked in the backseat at Henry, who was singing to himself, but quickly falling asleep.

"Regina…" she was going to apologize again, but the words sounded even more hollow. "Call him," she offered.

"Okay," Regina agreed, watching how Henry closed his eyes and his little head shifted to the side. Emma started the engine. "Wait…when is his birthday?" It came to the forefront of her mind before she could stop it.

Emma offered a melancholy smile. "May 28th." She watched the emotions play across Regina's face and truly hated herself for the first time in her life. They had planned it that way; that maybe Regina and their child could share a birthday. Hers was May 30th, and Emma assumed that if there was anything to make Regina take a vacation once a year, a dual birthday party near Memorial Day would do it. Now it seemed like a sick and cruel joke. "Regina, call him…please? But Regina didn't answer, and Emma pulled away from the hospital feel more confused than ever.

* * *

"It's fucking yellow," Kathryn said bouncing the unlit cigarette between her fingers. Her words sounded far away, even though she sat beside Regina in the airport lounge. Their plane would leave in less than an hour. "Townhouse, house…what are you looking for in Maryland?"

"You're sure about this Mr. Gold thing, aren't you?" Regina questioned, looking up from the tablet on her lap.

"He called us personally. He's going to bring no less than fifty million dollars-worth of business, Regina. Not to mention, your patent is getting issued. Growth is going to explode and the DC office is going to need your full attention."

"But you told me that when I insisted on selling the other house, right?" Regina was waiting for that fight. Kathryn had begged her not to make a rash decision on selling her home just because she once lived there with Emma Swan, but the pain was too enormous for Regina to keep it. She had sold it and moved far away from DC, which was a problem in and of itself, since she spent an increasing amount of time in the area now.

Kathryn only shrugged, rolling the cigarette through her fingers expertly. "You made a profit."

"Don't sit here and dry hump, Kathryn; let me fucking have it," Regina readied herself for a fight. Not fighting with Emma had been more emotionally draining than when they just screamed it out with one another; and spending hours with the son who didn't really knew who she was had tied her in knots. She needed to fight or to fuck, and since only one option was open to her…

"Don't you put that burden on me," Kathryn said swiping her screen. "I'm not gonna fight you." She turned the screen to Regina. "Five-bedroom brick in Columbia, Maryland. You can work on the commute to the office…"

"What am I going to do with five bedrooms? Although," Regina peered closer, "I like the area. I like Columbia."

"Maryland is good…liberal; they'll stand up for your parental rights," Kathryn nodded her agreement. "And you have a certain status…image to uphold. Anything less than four bedrooms would neglect how successful you are…"

"You don't want to finish that sentence…about how I was slumming it in a three-bedroom townhouse with Emma…" Regina warned seriously.

"Goes without saying, Regina," Kathryn noted. They were both silent for far too long. "How much did you give her?" Regina refused to even answer the question. "How about this one?" Kathryn showed Regina another house.

"I love those floors, but too many rooms. No more than three bedrooms, Kathryn."

"Lord," Kathryn rolled her eyes. "I would suggest you rent, but that's a waste of money."

"I gave them a cell phone," Regina had to admit to Kathryn's previous question. Kathryn looked up slowly and sighed.

"IPhone or android?"

"What difference does it make?" Regina cocked a perfectly arched brow.

"I just wanted to know if you put her money or Apple-pay or Samsung-pay," Kathryn laughed at her own joke. Regina only rolled her eyes and then allowed them to flutter close. "Are you going to be okay for tomorrow?"

"When we land, I'll get a hot bath, go over these figures one more time and get a good night's rest. Oh, after I call my son for the night…I'll get a good night's rest." When Kathryn didn't respond, Regina looked at her best friend. "His birthday is May 28th," Regina revealed softly. She watched as a bright smile spread across Kathryn's face and breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't explain why, but she needed Kathryn to be on board with this; at the very least, happy for her.

"I feel like we are going to end up in Disneyland every year at the end of May," Kathryn teased.

Regina packed her stuff up and smiled too. "Yeah…" she thought about sharing her birthday with her son. "Maybe…"

* * *

Dorothy and Emma rarely talked. Yet that was who was awake when Emma made her way back to Dorothy's apartment to speak with Ruby. "She's still asleep," Dorothy announced, but moved aside so Emma could carry Henry inside. They settled on the couch and Dorothy headed back to the kitchen to finish up the dishes. When she finished, she joined Emma in the living room.

"He's knocked out, huh?" Dorothy tried her hand at small talk.

"Busy morning, I guess," Emma said rubbing the little boy's back. He was already dead asleep again. "I should just come back when she wakes up," Emma sighed. She didn't want to go back to an apartment with Killian right now, but really had no other choice.

"You should stay," Dorothy said sincerely, but without a smile or much enthusiasm.

"Can I run back out and get my other phone?" Emma asked nervously.

"Sure," Dorothy nodded. "He's not going anywhere," she tried to smile, but was actually too tired to. Emma came right back and removed the new phone from its box. Regina, or someone had already set everything up as far as the pay app.

"Has Ruby been sleeping long?" Emma questioned after she had set up some of her apps on the phone.

"Since she came in this morning," Dorothy sighed. "She didn't say a word to me…"

"Hey guys," Ruby said, pulling her fingers through her hair and yawning. She looked at Dorothy first, trying to gauge her anger, which Dorothy made impossible.

"Can I talk to you outside for a minute?" Emma asked immediately.

Ruby never allowed her eyes to leave Dorothy. "Sure," she blinked quickly. She knew that voice and Emma was about to confront her about something.

"Would you like me to start your breakfast?" Dorothy questioned.

"No, baby. I'll just find something later," Ruby felt a jolt of guilt followed by fear shake her body. She followed Emma out back to the tiny fenced in patio behind the apartment.

"You called her?" Emma broke down in frustrated tears automatically. She had held it in for far too long and now it had all bubbled to the surface. Between being blindsided by Regina showing up and finding out that it was her best friend's fault; Emma didn't know how she was going to do this. "You are my best friend…"

"I did what was best for you…I can't watch you struggle anymore, Emma."

"It wasn't your secret to tell, Ruby! It was none of your business!" She wasn't angry with Ruby, just fed up with herself and her life in general. She had no money, no steady work, no place to live and now she had to deal with her choices. She didn't have anyone to take it out on, but herself and right now, she needed herself, therefore Ruby was the next option.

"Lower your voice," Ruby said seriously, looking back to make sure Dorothy wasn't listen. "You don't get to be pissed at me! I love you and Henry and I can't watch you struggle over some stupid fucking decision we made three years ago. Yes, we ran! But it's Regina's son too and she had a right to know and you have a right not to struggle!"

"It's not your decision to make, Ruby," Emma cried frantically. "You don't have to live with the consequences. I have to deal with Regina now…I don't know what she might want or do."

"She's not a villain Emma…she's not!" Ruby countered.

Emma shook her head in frustration. "You betrayed my trust, Ruby. I trusted you above anyone else in this world and you called her and didn't tell me…"

"Would you have ever called her…would Henry ever have known his mother?"

"That's not the point!" Emma countered. "It wasn't your place!"

"When did you become so ungrateful, Emma," Ruby asked mournfully.

"When did you think you were doing me a fucking favor?" Emma threw back at her friend. It was a step too far and she saw the shatter in Ruby's eyes. She didn't deserve it, Ruby had done nothing wrong; but Emma was scared, hurt, and confused and she knew she could take it out on Ruby. Yet, she had taken it too far. Still, as always, Emma was determined to follow through. "We don't need your apartment…we'll be out by tonight," Emma said, steeling herself off to any real emotions right now.

"Well, that's a 'fuck you' I didn't see coming," Ruby felt as if she had been stuck. "I did what I thought was best," she stated again.

"Well, you obviously didn't know what was best," Emma barked. "I don't need you to make decisions for me…"

"I'm not trying to make decisions for you, Emma," Ruby began again, but was cut off by Emma.

"I trusted you more than anyone else in life and you brought Regina Mills to my doorstep! We were safe…"

"I called nearly a week ago, Emma. If she wanted to be combative or belligerent, she wouldn't have waited."

Emma rolled her eyes, not able to convey how deeply hurt and upset this situation made her. She shook her head, not willing to even try. "We'll be out by tonight, Ruby," Emma said icily.

"Where are you going to go, Emma?" Ruby questioned. "You have no home… you saddled up to a loser and now you are on the street with a little boy who doesn't deserve this…"

"And there it is," Emma shrugged, although it shattered her to hear her best friend say that. "So… you decided to call Regina to take him away," she mused out loud.

"Emma!" Ruby moaned, seeing that she wasn't getting through to her friend at all. "Listen to me…"

"I'm tired of listening," Emma said bluntly. "If you actually gave a damn, you would have talked to me instead of calling her…"

"And then what would have happened?" Ruby questioned, as Emma brushed past her and went back into the apartment. Her best friend ignored her question, picked up her sleeping son and quickly said goodbye to Dorothy, before doing something she had never done before; walked out on Ruby.

She headed back to Ruby's apartment with a fire in her belly for change. She had three thousand dollars now; more money than she had received in a very long time, therefore she had choices. She was upset, but the fact that she had options made her feel a bit better. That was, until, she happened upon Killian lying comfortable on Ruby's bed. His face was badly bludgeoned, one eye completely closed, and the fact that he lay on Ruby's bed without a shirt, exposing his blue and blackened ribs, made Emma suddenly sad.

She sat on the edge of the bed and swept a small bit of his hair from his sweating forehead. He was likely in a great deal of pain, and the four new bottles of medication attested to that fact. "Hey," she whispered once he opened the one eye that wasn't slammed shut.

He grumbled something that Emma couldn't understand, but she shushed him. "Don't try to talk if it hurts," she said gently.

He ignored her and sat up slowly. "Where is Henry?" he questioned, looking around.

"Asleep on the couch," she answered adjusting a bit so she could stretch out.

Killian nodded. "I feel like shit," he admitted, feeling the swell around his eyes. "Shit…" he groaned. "Last night…" he began but stopped. "I'm sorry Emma…I don't know what got into me. I just saw myself losing my family," he tried to explain. "This person…" he took a thick swallow, "this woman that you used to date…" the words tasted foul in his mouth.

"Regina," Emma filled-in-the blank slowly.

"Her…did she show up this morning to get tested?" he mildly hoped she didn't. It wasn't just the fact that she was a woman, he didn't want his house divided and Henry was as much his, as Emma was his.

"Of course," Emma stated before she thought better of it. She saw the change in Killian's face and knew she should tread lightly. "She showed up and then we had lunch…"

"What does she want; really?" Killian coughed out the question.

"Do you want me to get you a glass of water?" Emma asked, trying to change the subject.

Instead of answering, Killian handed her two bottles, which she promptly opened and he swallowed a few pills dry. "What does she want?"

"To be a part of his life," Emma answered imply.

"She hadn't thus far!" Killian's voice rose unintentionally. He saw Emma stiffened, and reached out to her. "I'm sorry…I just don't want to lose you two," he tried to explain.

"You aren't!" Emma said quickly. "Regina is a very distant part of my past," she explained urgently. "She's going to be a part of Henry's life…but that's it…"

"Well, I don't want the boy to be confused," Killian said haughtily. "Him knowing that his birth wasn't normal," a bit of disgust peeked through. He stared at Emma, and was going to go further, but she stopped him.

"Well, we are moving…" Emma changed the subject. "We are going to get another room…okay?"

Killian looked around. "What's wrong with here…it's free and Ruby is always at that other bi… woman's house," he stopped himself from calling Dorothy a bitch. He absolutely hated her, mainly because she intimidated him. She was a military woman, take charge and very capable; all the things he customarily hated where women were involved. "Plus…it's not like money is flowing in here…"

"We have enough money," Emma offered meekly.

This piqued his interest. "Oh," was all he said, but his mind successfully jumped to the fact that this woman must have given Emma money. He would explore that later; right now, he just need to play his cards right. He had already been thinking about selling some of the prescription pills that the doctors had given to him and now he knew that his girlfriend had money too "If you think that's best," he acquiesced.

"I do," she nodded slowly. She stood up and kissed his forehead gently. "I'm glad we are good," she said sincerely. "Do you think that Henry can continue sleeping while I find us another room?"

"Sure…if the kid is asleep, don't wake him," Killian said moving back down on the bed.

"Do you need anything before I leave?" Emma asked, looking back at him from the door.

"No, baby," Killian tried to offer a smile. "I'm fine. How long do you think you'll be gone?" he questioned just as she was leaving?"

"Not long," Emma promised. As soon as Killian heard the front door close, he sat up again. Last night, one of his drinking buddies had given him a small bump off of whatever he was smoking out of a crystal pipe. Although Killian had never tried anything, but prescription drugs, the bump had sparked something in him. He wanted to try it again; and now that money was at hand, he had a bargaining chip. Texting his buddy quickly, Killian smiled by his rapid response. They would meet later on tonight and he could really start feeling better.

* * *

"How efficient is the code?" Regina had just exited the plane and was now waiting for her bag to come off of the carousal. "You don't sound as sure as I would like you to be," Regina said a bit angrily. She was rolling out a new cybersecurity software system in less than a month and her main coder was sounding shaky about the rollout now. Of course, he operated as an independent contractor out of Seattle, but Regina wasn't above getting her ass right back on another plane and flying out there to see how things were coming along. The only real problem was that it was four on Sunday afternoon now and she had a meeting with Mr. Gold tomorrow. Kathryn was even more excited than she was about this, but Regina had priorities. "Collin," she huffed. "Do I need to fly out to Seattle?" she asked bluntly. She hated to hear the answer, but knew that this rollout happening smoothly was the most important item on her plate right now; well, almost the most important thing.

"This was not the plan, Regina," was all Kathryn could say as Regina Mills booked a flight out to Seattle. Although Regina was utterly exhausted; she grabbed a short nap on her layover at JFK, but worked through the seven-hour flight to Seattle. By the time she landed, was settled in her hotel room and had a quick meeting with Collin, her mind was at ease some. That was, until she remembered that Emma had requested she call Henry that night. Looking at the clock, she sighed sadly. It was nearly midnight in Pensacola.

"Geez." Regina still couldn't allow Emma to think that she had forgotten or wasn't a priority, so she dialed the preset number for the phone she had given Emma earlier. Surprisingly, Emma answered on the third ring.

"Regina," Emma sounded bright and alert.

"I'm sorry," Regina launched into her apology quickly. "I know it's late and he's probably asleep."

"He is," Emma confirmed, but not in the shitty tone that Regina would have expected. "He just went down a little while ago," she admitted, looking back into the room from the balcony. She had booked a room closer to the beach; somewhere quite a bit nicer. Still, Killian had asked to borrow a couple of twenties and had headed out of the night, instead of staying with her. It went without saying that she hadn't spoken to Ruby anymore and now Emma just felt alone. She wasn't proud of being happy to hear her cell phone ring, but just talking to anyone right now felt good.

"I had to fly to Seattle," Regina explained although she didn't have to. She wanted Emma to know that she was serious about Henry and even more that he was a priority. "I was thrown a curveball when I landed…I was in the air, or I would have called so much earlier," she promised.

"I understand," Emma said seriously.

There was a lull in the conversation and Regina breathed heavily.

"Have you gotten any rest?" Emma asked cautiously.

Regina finally took off her heels and melted into the plush leather wingback chair in the corner of the room. "Not really," she confessed. "I had a small nap on the flight up to JFK, but I had to go over some documents and numbers all the way here. I'll get a nap and be up early tomorrow morning…"

"You can't operate like that, Regina," Emma slipped too comfortably into concern for her own comforts. She felt that this would happen; the feelings were still there for Regina and it was imperative that she not let them consume her. "I mean…we all need rest," she offered nonchalantly.

"I know," Regina replied softly. "I wish it were that easy," she murmured. "I'll be fine though…it's the life I choose," she said firmly. "May I call him tomorrow? Perhaps around lunch?"

"You can call him whenever you want to, Regina," Emma reminded her.

"I don't want to inconvenience you," Regina countered.

Emma ignored what she perceived to be a dig. "Are you really coming back on Wednesday?"

"Yes," Regina said firmly. "I want to spend some time with Henry," she answered honestly.

"Tomorrow at lunch," Emma agreed about the phone call, feeling a little jolt of happiness from Regina's confirmation. She was happy that Regina was committed to keeping her promises. "He usually takes a nap in the late afternoon."

"Okay," Regina's voice brightened a bit. "I'll call him around lunchtime. Did he have a good day today?"

"Yes," Emma answered immediately. "He told me tonight he liked your car," Emma giggled despite herself. "He liked all the buttons."

"I'll make sure to get the same car on Wednesday," Regina smiled too. "Well…I should get some sleep. Goodnight, Ms. Swan." She didn't mean to allow her voice to slip into the tenor it used to hold when she would say goodnight to Emma when they were together, but it automatically had. She cleared her throat, trying to dissipate some of the awkwardness. "Until tomorrow…"

"Yeah…until tomorrow," Emma sighed, wondering exactly what that would mean.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: The chapter that proves, parenting may just be the easy part :( Please feel free to comment and review! I love hearing from you all!**

Chapter Six

Killian took a long swallow of the brown liquor placed in front of him and smiled gleefully. "Pan, is it my friend?" he asked, as the young man passed him the glass pipe again. Killian had to admit, he had never felt this good in his life. He had tried this new drug four days earlier, and now it was Tuesday morning…no Wednesday morning, and he couldn't imagine living without it. He rubbed his head with his nub, trying to remember the last time he had felt this damn good. Definitely not since the accident. He took two strong pulls from the pipe and passed it back; his head magically drooping against the couch cushions. When he became conscious again, he noticed someone pulling at his pant buckle. An average-looking petite brunette looked up at him and winked. Killian wasn't particularly in the mood to screw anyone, but the drugs coursing through his veins had the exact opposite effect as the pills he usually popped and he realized he had a raging hard-on. No use wasting that, he considered as the girl wrapped her mouth around him. Another shot was placed in his hand and he eager swallowed it just as the girl hummed on his dick.

He wanted the pipe again, badly. More than he wanted the girl who slid onto him and rode him slowly. He grunted, feeling a twinge of guilt as he spilled into the girl he didn't know from a hole in the wall. Killian was still rock hard and the girl took advantage of that. Killian closed his eyes and decided to enjoy the warmth. Emma hadn't been warm to him in weeks… "Shit," Killian tried to move the girl off of him, but couldn't disengage before he completely lost his erection.

"What's wrong, baby?" she asked, brushing some sweat from his forehead. The girl wasn't pretty; her skin was badly sun damaged and her eyes were cold and distant, yet when she removed herself from his lap, she pulled out a glass pipe and dropped a brown crystalized rock into it. Killian eagerly put himself back into his black jeans and zipped them without buttoning them. The girl had already started her descent by the time he took the pipe from her.

Three hour later, he woke with a start. The room stunk, as did he, and it was nearly five in the morning. He felt sick to his stomach and jittery and realized that this was what coming down from a high felt like. He turned over a bit more, realized that he was already on the floor and tried to stand up although the room was spinning. After two attempts, he finally got to his feet, but had to feel around the room to reach a light. When light finally flooded the small room, Killian was more disgusted with his surrounding than anything. Although the furnishings weren't so bad, two girls lay in the corner with beer bottles and liquor bottles surrounding them. One, he was sure, rode his dick the night before, and that scared him. There was no telling what she was carrying between her legs and now, by proxy, what he carried. He stumbled to the bathroom, took a leak and washed his balls in the sink and then washed his hands. He quickly exited the bathroom and headed out into the warm morning air. He was about four miles from the hotel and instead of walking, he planned to catch one of the cabs that were already running for the day. He pulled out his wallet, opened it and then shouted an expletive loud enough to wake the dead. He had five hundred dollars in cash that Emma had reluctantly given him on Tuesday and now, Wednesday morning, he was completely out of money. It was like pulling teeth to get the money out of her the first fucking time, it would likely be impossible this time. Taking off in the direction of the hotel, he started devising a plan to separate Emma from some more of Henry's "child support payments." Although the fresh air helped with some of his concentration, by the time he reached the hotel, he was still blank on how he could get her to part with the money. Fuck it, he thought…he would figure it out, someway.

* * *

Emma had never once heard Regina come in at six in the morning. As she rolled onto her back and listened to the shower going, she found herself comparing Regina and Killian once again. It was something she had been doing often, lately. Since Regina had called Tuesday morning with that apologetic glint in her voice, confirming what Emma already knew to be true, Emma could barely get her mind off of the woman. _"I'm sorry…I just had to be sure…"_ Regina had said sadly. It broke Emma's heart that the woman she had once loved so deeply even had to wonder. They had conceived of Henry in love and now his presence was likely emotionally killing Regina.

Emma heard the shower stop and she sat up in bed, preparing to confront her boyfriend. It took Killian another twenty minutes to emerge and he looked utterly terrible. "Where have you been?" Emma asked, barely above a whisper.

"Let's not start this shit," Killian pleaded. He sat on the edge of the bed and yawned. "I'm too fucking tired."

"Don't wake up my son…" Emma warned in a whisper.

Killian peered at the little boy sleeping in the opposite bed and rolled his eyes. It wasn't worth the fight; he was tired, feeling a little nauseous and knew he'd need money later today. He nodded, crawled towards the pillows and lay his head down.

"Killian, I expect an answer," Emma said tentatively.

"What do you want me to say?" he turned on his back and looked up at the ceiling. His balls itched, which worried him, considering what had happened earlier. He pushed that thought away and tried to concentrate on what Emma was saying, although it wasn't working.

"I can't keep living like this…" Emma said wearily.

"You never had a problem with me until she showed up," Killian challenged. This always shut Emma down; her guilt over this bitch was truly amazing. Killian couldn't possibly understand what had gone on between them, but he definitely didn't like that shit. Especially when Emma insisted on saying stupid shit like the woman was Henry's mother also. A boy couldn't have two mothers, and that shit would never change in his mind.

"This has nothing to do with Regina…"

"Evidently it does," Killian challenged, knowing he had her now. Regina was her weak spot, which infuriated Killian on one level, but he appreciated the fact that he could manipulate her with this information. "She comes back into your life and I can't do shit right now…"

"I didn't say that," Emma said, the fight quickly leaving her. She didn't want to be confronted about Regina and would do pretty much anything to avoid conversations about her.

Killian turned to face her. "Then what is it?" he questioned.

"You came in after six!" Emma said unbelievingly.

"Emma, I feel like you don't want me around," Killian realized playing this line would work a lot better than fighting her. "You know how I am when I don't feel wanted…"

"That's not fair," Emma began, but was stopped when she felt Killian's lips on hers.

"I love you so much, Emma…" he began to lay it on thick. "I feel like I'm losing you and Henry…I just needed to think," he said once he pulled back. "Once it got too late, I didn't want to come in and wake you guys…I had a couple of beers…time got away from me."

Emma sighed, "Don't make this a habit, Killian."

"It was a one-time deal…she's coming today, right? It makes me think a lot of things I don't wanna think, Emma. What if you fall in love with her again and leave me…what if she wants to take Henry from us? We've been his parents for so long; this may confuse the shit out of him."

"She won't take me …she told me so…"

"Can you really trust someone with that much money and power. She probably thinks that everything belongs to her…she's gonna want Henry; he's a great kid."

"She doesn't want to steal him," Emma said firmly, even though Killian's words made her somewhat scared. "She's gonna bring a contract…an agreement…"

"Maybe I should go with you when you meet her…" Killian suggested, pulling Emma into a loose embrace.

Emma nodded, a bit worriedly, "Maybe you should…" she agreed. "Maybe you should."

* * *

Regina rubbed her eyes behind the dark sunglasses and stifled a yawn. Looking around, she cringed a bit at the strong smell of pizza, candy, and cola and even more at the intensely loud screaming of small children and parents chasing them. She was somewhere called the Kid O'Zone Pizza Parlor, where little kids came to engorge themselves on pizza, candy, cola, and very loud and noisy games. Regina was seated near the ball-pit, which was troubling to start with, because every kid came from the pit looking a bit green behind the gill. Luckily, the first kid that Regina suspected would spew everywhere, made it to his parents before that actually happened. Regina couldn't describe how happy she was to see Henry and Emma emerge from the front of the pizza parlor.

"Sorry, we didn't see you at first," Emma seemed nervous, but Regina could understand as much. She wasn't exactly the example of steady nerves right now. Ever since Tuesday morning, when she found out that Henry was her biological son, she had been on edge. Every thought had run through her mind and the only thing she had really sorted out was a four-page contract with Kathryn. She had spoken with Emma briefly about that contract, yet she was sure it would be a work in progress.

"No, you guys are fine," Regina had stood up from the table and was delighted when Henry came over and gave her a high-five without saying anything.

"Mom, can I go play?" he asked eagerly, looking back at Emma.

"You have to eat first, buddy," Emma said encouraging him to sit down.

"I don't wanna," Henry whined, watching the other kids run around and play.

"Be quiet, boy, and sit down," someone from behind Emma and Henry boomed. His voice wasn't really menacing, just fully annoyed with Henry, which immediately angered Regina. The man took in Regina fully and colored himself unimpressed. "You must be the millionaire…" he said ushering Emma and Henry into the booth and then closing them in.

Regina looked him up and down, colored herself unimpressed and looked back at Emma. Emma was looking at her son, obviously embarrassed, and this made Regina even more angry. She finally sat down, "The millionaire, huh?" she asked tightly. Is that how Emma had described her? Not as Henry's mother, but as a bag of money?

"I've never said that," Emma said quickly, trying desperately to make eye contact with Regina to reassure her. Instead, Regina focused on Henry, who was now obviously upset that he had been called out in public and had to sit down.

"Why don't we let him play for a while before dinner. He can run up an appetite…and they gave me these coins that I have no idea what to do with," Regina said pulling five golden coins from her slack's pocket and placed them on the table. Henry's eyes lit up and he looked up at Emma.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I'll order you a couple of slices of cheese pizza," Emma said as Henry climbed over Killian and bounced over to Regina to pick up the coins. "Stay where we can see you, okay?" He nodded quickly and went to a set of games in front of his moms and Killian.

Killian looked at Henry, obviously fuming, and Regina felt a large amount of satisfaction. "You must be the boyfriend," Regina didn't hide the disgust in her voice. "I expected something…better," Regina shrugged her disappointment. That was all she had planned to say to her ex-girlfriend's boyfriend, therefore she turned her attention to Emma. "Did you get a chance to read over the primary custody agreement?" She had sent Emma a copy to look over the night before, because she really didn't want Emma to have any surprises.

"I read it…everything looked fine with me," Emma said quickly. She didn't want to argue and nothing seemed out of place after she read it. It was actually pretty standard. Regina wanted access to Henry and she would make herself readily available to be with him. Also, she wanted the final voice in his education, which she would pay for full out, and alternating major holidays and no less than two weeks in each of the months of June, July and August. Besides paying for all of his education, she was offering thirty-five hundred dollars a month for child support and agreed to cover any medical and dental expenses Henry may have in the future. It was more than generous, but Regina realized this was a lot less traumatic than spending a million dollar in legal fees and beating up on the mother of her child in court.

"Good," Regina finally smiled and Emma had to admit that she melted a little. "I have the paper copy and as soon as you sign it, I can fax it back to Kathryn," she said pulling the paperwork from her very large purse. She extended the papers to Emma, but was quickly cut off by Killian, who jerked the paper away from her.

"Killian," Emma scolded, but was shot down when he rolled his eyes angrily at her.

"I need to read this over," he said firmly. He couldn't believe that this rich bitch had the nerve to talk to Emma like he wasn't fucking there. He was getting more and more angry by the second. Even more, Emma hadn't even asked his opinion on this bullshit contract she concocted. Emma definitely wasn't smart enough to read this shit over by herself. She should have come to him, immediately! Especially when money was involved!

Regina's eyes flashed, but she held her tongue for a moment. "Let him play lawyer if he needs to," Regina said staring at Henry, who was surrounded by two other little boys now. "I'm going to check on MY son," she emphasized.

Once Regina was out of earshot, Emma turned to Killian, completely pale and what appeared to be terrified. "Are you insane!" she jerked the papers back from him. She refolded the papers and placed them beside her. She was going to sign them, get this mess over with and work with Regina to make Henry's life better. She had decided that four days earlier, and Killian wasn't going to get in the way of that. "Maybe you shouldn't have come," Emma said before feeling Killian's hand grip her roughly. "Killian…"

"You listen to me, Emma; we're a family…we are all we have, and I am not giving control of you or our son to some bitch, just because she has money, or you happened to have fucked her before…whatever happened between you two is over! You and Henry are mine now…don't ever disrespect me again…" he gritted out, barely even trying to whisper. "Now, I'm out of money…and if you don't want me stay here and curse this bitch out, I suggest you go ahead and part with a couple of hundred," he suggested easily, as if he didn't have a grip on her leg. Emma tried to jerk her leg back, which only fanned his anger. "Don't make me make a scene," he tried to rationalize.

It flashed in Emma's head that Killian leaving would be the best option, so before Henry and Regina returned, she pulled out ten twenties, and handed them over to Killian. He quickly stood, disappeared through the crowd and was out the door without a second thought. Emma choked back tears, but managed to settle herself before Henry pulled Regina back to the table by the hand. "I won!" he gloated lovingly. He looked up at Regina and laughed. "I won, Momma, I won."

"Good job, kid," she looked up at Regina, who didn't seem at all put off by the fact that Killian was gone.

"Do you want pizza now?" Regina questioned, surprised that Henry slid into her side of the booth.

"Where is Kill?" he placed his chin on the table, which Regina immediately cringed at seeing. Still, she sat down beside her son.

"That's a good question," Regina agreed.

"He…he umm…" Emma had no words.

"We don't need him for pizza, do we?" she turned and smiled at Henry.

"No," Henry shook his head happily.

"We'll get a small cheese," Regina beckoned over one of the waiters in goofy costumes. "Would you like anything different, Emma?" Regina asked caringly.

"I'm not really hungry," she admitted.

"Small cheese then," Regina said and ordered a water for herself. "What would you like to drink?" she asked looking at Henry, who was surprised to have his opinion asked.

"Juice!" Henry answered quickly before the opportunity left.

"Do you have a pen?" Emma questioned. Regina produced one quickly and watched as Emma signed the papers and handed them back to her.

"He said he likes planes," Regina said looking down at Henry. "There is a Navy Aviation Museum down here…Zelena flew us down here one time. I ended up at beach week, but she spent a great deal of time at that museum."

"Does she still fly?" Emma questioned, remembering now how much Regina's older sister enjoyed aviation.

"Yes," Regina smiled. "She's still in private aviation; she just had a daughter…"

"A daughter?" Emma smiled softly.

"Yeah. I've only seen her twice, but she looks exactly like Zelena. She's a very good baby though. She's a little over four months old…"

"Your eyes are sparkling when you talk about her," Emma noted.

"Yeah, she's adorable," Regina said looking down at Henry, who was off in his own land. "I'd like to take him to the museum…maybe tomorrow…"

"That sounds great," Emma smiled brightly. The pizza was delivered and Emma offered to take Henry to wash up.

"I'll take him," Regina said. Henry climbed over and then led her toward the bathrooms. They returned less than ten minutes later and sat back down. "He's very independent," she announced once they both had slices of pizza. She used a knife and a fork to cut up hers, but Henry jumped in enthusiastically with his fingers. "I'm almost sure he doesn't have any choice though…with us as …"

"His parents," Emma finished.

Regina shook her head sadly, "I wasn't going to say that," she admitted.

"It's the truth though," Emma pushed.

"So, it's Wednesday night. I'm here until Sunday evening…"

"We can go to the water," Henry said with his mouthful.

"And see the planes?" Regina grinned brightly.

"Can we, mom?" he looked at Emma.

"Of course, if that's what you two want," Emma agreed quickly.

Henry finished his dinner and was eager to go back to playing. Regina got him some more tokens, and she and Emma walked around behind him, following him from game to game. "Thanks for signing the papers," Regina said while they were watching him on a driving game.

"You said you wanted this easy, Regina. I agree with that…"

"Your boyfriend," Regina felt as if she would choke on the words, "doesn't want it easy…"

"He doesn't speak for me," Emma said firmly.

"Does he know that?" Regina asked pointedly. When Emma didn't answer immediately, Regina let out a frustrated sigh. She wasn't accustomed to biting her tongue. "What are you doing with him, Emma? I realize it's none of my business…but…if he's near my son…"

"He's been here when I needed him, Regina," Emma became immediately defensively.

Regina folded her arms across her chest. "So, if given the chance, I would have chosen not to be here?"

"I didn't say that…"

"I'm lost, Emma. You want to treat this as if I pushed you … and I don't know what I did wrong," she took a step closer to Emma and could feel her tremble. "It keeps me awake at night now…I try to figure out what I did wrong…why I didn't deserve this family and now, meeting him…." She let the words trail off.

"You didn't do anything wrong…"

Regina backed off a bit. "I don't want you to feel guilty; we made our choices and this is where we are…we have a beautiful son, we have an agreement and we don't hate each other…"

"You don't hate me?" Emma looked at her forlornly. She didn't believe she could survive Regina's hatred.

How could she possibly hate the mother of her child? She was about to answer, but Henry came back to them. "I got no more money…" he shrugged disheartened.

"Well, it's getting late, kid. How about we go home and get some rest for tomorrow?"

"No, mom!" Henry protested. "No!"

"Why don't you two come back to my hotel…"

"Aren't you exhausted?" Emma asked quickly.

"You have a pool?" Henry wanted to know.

"I'm not…and I do…" Regina answered in order.

They bought Henry a wetsuit in the hotel lobby and he splashed away in the kiddie pool under the watchful eyes of his mothers. He was absolutely delighted to be in the water, and at all the attention he was receiving.

"Do you really want to know about me and Killian?" Emma asked softly.

"I don't think I do," Regina swallowed, looking forward, making sure not to look at Emma. "I don't like him," she said referring to Killian, "and I'm almost sure it's for selfish reasons…" she admitted. "I don't like how he talks to my son."

"This was the first time…" Emma began covering for him.

"It will be his last time, Emma," Regina had that familiar menacing voice when she was pushed to her brink. "He won't discipline our son…"

"I will make sure that never happens again," Emma promised. "He's trying to adjust…"

Regina didn't trust him; it was obvious she didn't like him, but she definitely didn't trust him either. Regina's fingers went to her temple, but she focused on Henry moving along the edge of the water that barely reached his waist. "He likes the water, doesn't he? Planes and water…"

"Did you like the water when you were little?" Emma asked.

"I loved them both," Regina adjusted herself on the lounge chair. "My father taught both my sister and I to love planes. And as you know, we lived on the coast of Connecticut for so long…I used to just watch the waves with my sister for hours. Until they sent her away," Regina remember bitterly. "Then I think the water took on a sadness…"

"We used to have picnics by the water all the time," Emma said somewhat confused.

"You made the water beautiful again," Regina said sadly. She stood now, and called to Henry, who looked up and slowly climbed out of the pool. He allowed Regina to wrap him in a towel and dry him off. "Let's go up to the room and get you changed…and then I'll order up a sundae."

Regina's room was actually a two-room suite with a couch that pulled out into a full bed. Emma gave Henry a bath in the largest tub she had ever seen in a hotel room and dressed him in a new pajama set that Regina had purchased downstairs.

"Would you like some real food?" Regina questioned, looking over the hotel's menu. She had shed her formal clothes and now wore a loose pair of lien shorts and a simple green tee shirt. Emma sat in one of the chairs surrounding a circular table and tried not to concentrate on how good Regina looked in them. "You haven't really eaten, and I could go for a cobb salad myself."

"Your phone hasn't rung once…" Emma said with some disbelief. She had just noticed what was different with this meeting and it was the obvious lack of interruptions from work.

"I won't have my time with Henry compromised by work. I've done everything I needed to do this week…" Regina said firmly. Her attention went back to the menu after she watched Henry flip the channels and stop on something called Paw Patrol. "Do you still like ribeyes?"

"I think you got me stuck on filet mignons," Emma felt comfortable enough to joke.

"Well, if you had to sit through all those boring meetings with me, you had to eat well," Regina actually giggled. "They have a filet here…with a veal reduction and onion rings…"

"I couldn't ask you for anything more…"

"You aren't asking, I'm offering," Regina corrected.

"Why…Regina…why are you being nice to me?"

Regina ignored the question, picked up the phone and dialed down to one of the restaurants. "Yes, this is suite 612; I'd like some room service. The chicken cobb salad, a filet, mid-rare… you do like mid-rare still?" When Emma nodded, she continued, "A nice bottle of pinot noir and a brownie fudge sundae, please. Thank you…" she hung up and grinned. "We may have to share the sundae," she teased, looking over at Henry.

"No…that's mine," he pulled his attention just long enough to respond.

"Yeah, buddy, that's all you," Emma laughed softly.

"What's the Paw Patrol all about?" Regina questioned, moving towards the couch where Henry sat. He explained the show and Regina nodded, listening intently. They watched the rest of the episode, and when the food came, Regina miraculously got Henry to try some avocado, tomatoes and red onion. He hated the onions, but everything else, he tried happily. He ate no more than five bites of his sundae before he was yawning tiredly. It was nearly nine o'clock. "Would you like to lay on the bed?" Regina asked her son, kindly, and Henry nodded eagerly. He raised his arms; something that threw Regina a bit, but she quickly picked him up. She carried him into the bedroom and placed him under the covers of the large bed.

"You sleepy too?" Henry yawned again.

"No," Regina shook her head.

"I sleep, Gina," he said warmly. He closed his little eyes and was out before Regina had a chance to be thoroughly surprised that he knew her name. She bent down and placed a soft kiss in his hair and just watched him sleep for what felt like forever.

"He goes out pretty quickly," Regina heard Emma behind her and turned around. Emma came closer and handed her a glass of the wine.

"I don't wanna stop watching him," she admitted sadly.

"I know," Emma understood completely. "It's like the sunset…you never get tired of watching him sleep."

Regina turned to her and brushed a tear away quickly. "Yep…"

Emma sat on the bed beside Regina. "I'm …"

"Don't apologize anymore," Regina stopped Emma. "We made mistakes…I left because I thought I needed that contract. Nearly four years ago…we could have grown organically, in the States, but I wanted bigger, better, greater…I wanted it immediately. I didn't listen…you begged me to stay and I chased … I don't know what I was chasing. We crushed each other, Emma…I hate that you thought you couldn't come to me…I hate this entire situation; but love him…more completely than I've ever loved anything," the tears finally escaped and Emma couldn't stop her own tears. Regina knew it was a bad idea, but she gently reached up and brushed Emma's tears away. "Let's let him sleep," she said standing and moving away from Emma. She went back into the other living area and returned to their dinners.

Emma had mostly finished her dinner, but Regina could only pick at her salad now. She did finish her first glass of wine and followed it quickly with a second. "He said, Gina…before he went to sleep…"

Emma smiled.

"I sleep, Gina," Regina laughed comfortingly. "He's going to know he's my son one day…"

"He knows you two have a bond, already."

"Can he stay here tonight?" Regina asked out of the blue. "You can stay too…share the bed with him…I'll sleep out here on the couch."

"Are you sure?" Emma questioned cautiously.

"Yeah…"

"That bed is big enough …we can all fit in it…" Emma offered. "Although…he's a wild sleeper."

"Are you sure? Regina questioned.

"Regina, let's have a new start…a new beginning as parents…if that's possible."

"Yeah…that sounds like plan," Regina eagerly agreed. "The gift shop may still be open and you can buy some pajamas. Or you can borrow something of mine," Regina didn't like the spiral in her stomach when she thought about Emma in her clothes. This may be too much, too soon…but it was what she wanted. A relationship with her son, and Emma was offering it freely. "If you need to call…"

"I don't need to call anyone…and I can just borrow something of yours," Emma answered quickly. "Can I take a quick shower?"

"Sure," Regina sipped her wine. "All my stuff is put away for the week…you know where all my things are…"

"Yeah, I know you Regina," Emma said putting her glass on the table and heading in for her shower. Emma wasn't accustomed to these types of showers anymore. The type where the water stayed hot forever, and the hotel provided the best smelling soaps, salts, and oils. She took nearly an hour, but felt renewed when she finally emerged. Regina had pulled out the couch and dressed it in the extra set of sheets the hotel provided.

"I figured you might change your mind," she explained as she made herself comfortable on the pull-out bed.

Emma grabbed her wine and sat on the edge of Regina's bed. "I wasn't going to change my mind…" Emma informed her. She felt Regina sat on the other side and turned to look at her. "Do you sleep in anything but silk?" she decided to tease.

"It feels so good against the skin…I can't resist it…" Regina chuckled. "When did Henry start walking…and talking?" And that's how they managed to talk two hours about everything Henry. It was well past midnight and an empty bottle of wine later before they both managed to clunk out on the couch. It was sometime after two that Henry awoke looking for his mother. He managed to climb out of bed and wander into the other living area to where Emma and Regina slept. He didn't want to wake his mother, so he climbed onto the bed and between the two women. Listening to their soft snoring, he fell back to sleep with them.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hi all! Let me just warn you all, I did a quick edit, so all mistakes or errors are definitely mine! But please enjoy anyways and leave some reviews and comments! I love hearing from you guys! Enjoy!**

Chapter Seven

 _Emma dreamed that Regina was there at his birth. She felt that incredible pain piercing her back, lower abdomen and the weakness in her legs, but Regina was there and it wasn't nearly as bad. In reality, Ruby was at work when she called to say she was giving birth, and she was alone in the room. Only a nurse and a doctor she didn't know…she was scared; but she dreamed Regina was there. She woke with a start before Henry was actually born…_

Henry was gritting his teeth against her ear; not something particularly new, but it actually woke Emma this time. She rubbed her blue eyes, yawned and stretched her legs a bit. She was pulling Henry closer before she realized that they both shared a bed with Regina. She sat up so quickly she thought that Henry would wake. Instead he curled closer to Regina and resettled into his sleep. Emma's eyes searched for a clock and settled on one on the other side of the room. It was seventeen minutes after six and the sun still hadn't appeared through the covered windows. Gingerly sitting back down, Emma swallowed dryly and took a moment to digest her situation. She couldn't decide if she would rather cry or rejoice at the fact that Henry seemed perfectly comfortable being around his biological mother. He had clung to her from the very beginning and Emma didn't hate that fact. She had always wanted Henry to have a relationship with Regina Mills; yet, she had thought the actual logistics impossible. But it was happening now, right before her eyes, mother and son lay tucked away from the sunlight, and all the possible turmoil a new day held.

Emma lay back down, watching her child and his mother sleep peacefully.

"How long do you plan to watch me sleep, Ms. Swan?" Regina questioned, shifting on her side of the bed. She grunted gently, and then opened both of her eyes.

"I wasn't doing it on purpose," Emma answered like a chastised child.

Regina looked to her left and saw Henry snuggled against her. "When did this happen?" she asked looking at Henry. Regina decided not to address the last comment. Emma would always watch her sleep, as if taking her eyes off of Regina for one second would cause her to disappear. Regina always knew that Emma assumed she would abandon her, but that look always shredded Regina. It made her want to hold Emma and never let her go; to let the only woman she had ever loved know that they would be together, forever. But that time had passed and now they were stuck in this serviceable limbo with Henry holding them together.

"Probably sometime in the middle of the night," Emma said sitting upright again. "He usually just needs to see me…"

"Does he wake up often?" Regina changed the subject quickly. She hated the fact that Henry slept in one room with Emma and Killian. She would address this soon, but right now, she was still pleasantly surprised by waking up beside her son.

"No…you can usually drive a train through the room and he wouldn't even turn over," Emma laughed a little. "I don't think he gets that from you though…. even my eyes on you, wakes you up…"

Regina sat up too. "You have very powerful eyes," Regina muttered. She turned to Emma and sighed. "Did we not eat last night, because I'm starving."

"You picked at a salad and a slice of cheese pizza. I doubt you ate much the past three days though…considering how much work you likely put in to be "free" for a few days…" Emma heard herself began to ramble. She stopped abruptly and just looked at Regina and then down at their son. "I should go get him fresh clothes…he won't be awake for a couple of hours and if he does wake up, he's comfortable with you…but I should get him clothes for the day…"

"We could just pick him up something downstairs," Regina suggested quickly. "I thought we could all go down to breakfast …they have a buffet…"

"It won't take more than twenty minutes," Emma scrambled up from the bed. She couldn't articulate why, but she needed some distance from Regina, and the past memories of Regina. "Thirty minutes, tops," she said quickly. She headed into the other room and quickly changed, finally picking up her cell phone after nearly eight hours of neglect.

"If you need to check on your boyfriend," Regina said standing between the two rooms, "just say so, Emma." She ran her fingers through her dark tresses and rolled her eyes unintentionally.

"I didn't say…"

"You didn't have to," Regina said moving to the balcony sliding glass doors and opening it. "Thirty minutes…" she said stepping into the newly warmed morning. The sun was quickly speeding up the sky and Regina leaned over the balcony to take in some of the fresh air.

Emma settled beside her, "I didn't say that…"

"You didn't have to," Regina repeated again. "Will he sleep through?"

"He usually doesn't wake until eight-thirty or nine," Emma said humbly. She felt exposed and stupid. It didn't matter that she had four voicemails and nearly twenty texts; being with Regina and Henry felt significantly more important than running back to Killian, yet she couldn't help herself. She didn't understand her loyalty to Killian, but he was there for her when she needed it and she wouldn't abandon him now. "Thirty minutes, Regina…" Emma said backing away from the balcony now.

Regina looked directly into sorrowful blue eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, Emma," she turned back to the rising sun, "I was never going anywhere…" Regina didn't move as Emma gathered her purse and quickly left the hotel room door. It felt like a theme being manifested, but instead of dwelling on it, Regina decided it was best to watch her son sleep a little longer.

* * *

She stopped, got him breakfast and got three hundred dollars from the ATM before going back to the hotel room. Killian was sprawled out across the bed, obviously drunk, and Emma didn't have the energy to disturb him. She just wanted enough clothes for Henry, and maybe something for herself since Regina's tub looked so inviting. She could go back, soak in the tub for at least an hour and then go to breakfast with her kid and Regina Mills.

Regina Mills. It stunned Emma how thoroughly the feelings were still there. She couldn't deny them; they were a family, Henry already adored Regina and even more, Emma still loved the woman. She would give anything, just about anything, to take her actions back and just be with Regina again. Emma rubbed her eyes, trying to displace the feeling in her chest, and just gather some clothes for Henry. She arranged the food on the table, left a hundred dollar in twenties and was about to pick up Henry's bag to leave when she heard Killian's voice.

"You don't come home anymore," Killian sounded fully awake and alert.

Emma jumped. "I didn't know you were awake," she said lamely.

"You don't come home anymore," he repeated evenly, although he still felt a little buzzed. He had spent most of the night with Pan again and although he expected to come home to his girlfriend and kid, he was sorely disappointed four hours earlier when he showed up back at the room. It was empty and he was quickly coming down from his high and alcohol and feeling miserable, which oddly made him subdued. "Baby…" he sat up and asked, "where were you last night?"

"Henry fell asleep and …"

"Is he still asleep, now?" Killian asked as if he cared. "Is he with that Regina?"

"Yes, he's still asleep," Emma nodded slowly. "I'm taking him clothes back for today.

"How long is this going to last, Emma? You and Henry being with her, instead of here where you belong? I love you and Henry, and you are dead set on leaving me, aren't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Emma questioned wearily.

"Emma, come here," he said sitting up shakily. He could tell that she was in no mood to oblige, but she did so anyways. With Emma closer to him, Killian pulled her into a tight, but tender hug. "I love you so much," he sighed.

Emma tried to breathe against Killian's clammy skin, but the closeness to him took her breath away. She instantly felt trapped, and even worse, sickened by his touch. Still, he didn't seem to notice, so she swallowed thickly and played along.

"I love you too, Killian," she squirmed out of his embrace. But he was holding her too tightly. "Killian, I need to get…" but his mouth over hers stopped her words. His tongue was rough and labored, as he explored her mouth. His hand found its way to her breast, and Emma physically cringed.

"I love you so much, Emma," he could feel himself growing underneath his shorts. "I need you, Emma," he said, moving her hand over his crotch. "Baby, feel how much I need you…"

Emma closed her eyes sadly. In the back of her mind, she realized that this would go a lot faster if she just gave in. He would likely be finished in less than ten minutes and it was a hell of a lot easier than fighting him on this.

She was right about one thing, it took less than ten minutes for Killian to finish and he lay breathing heavily beside her. "We needed that," he announced after catching his breath fully. "We needed that shit…tonight we'll take Henry to dinner…put him to bed together. Be a real family," he rambled. "And you know what, we should probably get a real apartment," he reasoned. "This shit ain't cutting it family wise." He leaned over and kissed Emma's shoulder, not realizing how quickly she tensed under him. "You should take a shower…then go get Henry and we can look for one."

"He's going to be with Regina today," Emma said feeling disgusting.

"He spent the whole fucking night with her last night!" Killian barked. "He's our son, Emma."

"No!" Emma said firmly, moving to the side of the bed now. "He's her son…hers and mine," she stood.

"Where are you going?" Killian sat up, feeling his confused, anger and above all, emasculated. "Emma!" When she ignored him, and closed the bathroom door, his anger boiled to the surface. "Damn, bitch," he hopped off of the bed and moved to the table at the other side of the room. Emma was planning to leave him a breakfast sandwich, a couple of twenties and not even a note. "Bitch," he spat again. He stuffed the twenties in his pocket, angry that she would even think to ration money to him. He was a grown man…the man in this relationship, not that Emma seemed to give a shit.

"I'm the fucking man…" he mumbled to himself. "A grown fucking man…" He stopped himself from his angry mumbling when he spotted Emma's purse. He rummaged through it quickly, found her wallet and popped it open. She had two hundred dollars cash, which he added to the hundred in his pocket and then spotted exactly what he needed. The blue ATM card was nestled in front of the pin number folded on a piece of paper. He swiped them both, placed the cash back in the wallet and headed out of the hotel room.

* * *

"He had a bout of fright when he first awoke, but he got over it nicely," Regina said smoothing the hair on Henry's head. The little boy had awaken looking for Emma and when she was nowhere to be found, he went into a mild pouting frenzy. It had frightened Regina, she had never seen Henry cry, but they both regained their equilibrium pretty quickly. Regina had talked him into breakfast downstairs, where chefs made omelets at a bar in front of the guest. Henry was utterly delighted watching his two little eggs being cracked and getting to ask for different things in his eggs. He nearly finished his entire plate of food, which included his eggs, one piece of toast and two round sausages with a glass of orange juice. Regina was impressed by his appetite and told him so, which caused him to beam for nearly thirty minutes. By the time they made it back to the room, it had been cleaned to perfection, and they settled on the couch to watch a few "old school cartoons" that Regina was happy that Henry enjoyed.

"I'm sorry it took longer than I expected," Emma barely mumbled as she took a seat in the chair across from the couch.

Regina eyed her suspiciously. Even after nearly four years apart, she knew when something with off with Emma Swan. Still, with her son in her arms, she didn't want to push Emma into an unnecessary conversation. She, instead, decided to worry about something that could be easily fixed. "Have you eaten?" she asked dubiously. Since their time apart, Emma had lost nearly twenty-five and not only was it unattractive to Regina, it was utterly worrying. When they first met, Emma and Ruby's living habits had proven difficult for a consistent weight, but that had all changed during her time dating Regina. Regina didn't mean to care so much, but making sure that Emma and Henry were well-fed was the least she could do. "It's almost eight…"

"No," Emma shook her head quickly. "I'm not hungry," she admitted slowly. Her stomach was tied in knots and she felt disgusting. She didn't want to get too close to Regina, because in the back of her mind, she just knew that her ex-girlfriend would be able to smell Killian on her. It made her eyes well up with tears; just the thought of Regina knowing that Killian had been on top of her less than thirty minutes ago, made her stomach churn. "I can get him dressed though," she offered gently.

"You look pale," Regina noted, but shrugged. "I can get him dressed," she looked at the small bag beside Emma's feet. "You wanna get dressed?" she hugged Henry quickly and he squirmed cheerfully. He loved the attention and Regina had been showering him with it. He slid off of Regina's lap and turned to her.

"I can do it," he said promptly.

"You don't need any help at all?" Regina grinned brightly, again impressed by her son's initiative. Henry shook his head, no, eagerly. "Okay, how about this? You put your clothes on all by yourself and I'll help you brush your teeth again…"

Henry picked up his small bag of clothes, and sprinted into the other room, as if he were modest.

Regina moved to the edge of the couch and looked at Emma. "Are you okay?" she couldn't help asking again.

Emma refused to make eye contact with her, but nodded out of habit. She couldn't talk to Regina, especially not about this, so it was easier to make up a lie. "I am a little hungry...do you think I could order something up?"

"Of course," Regina nodded enthusiastically. "Just charge it to the room; anything you want," Regina reached out and placed her hand on Emma's knee, which prompted Emma to move her knee quickly. "Sorry," Regina apologized, obviously hurt by the gesture. "Order what you'd like," she pulled her posture back into its regal form to shield herself from the rejection she immediately felt. Ninety minutes with her boyfriend and Emma was behaving as if her touch was toxic, which shouldn't have hurt Regina, but it truly did. "I'm going to see if Henry needs help."

Emma watched as Regina moved around the couch and hated herself even more. It took all of her resolve to order herself some breakfast and pretend as if it was enjoyable once it came. Henry and Regina both had gotten dressed and was ready to head out by the time she finished up breakfast. They all piled into Regina's chauffeured SUV and headed to the Naval Aviation Museum first.

Henry spent nearly three hours "oohing" and "aahing" at all of the sights and Regina couldn't resist the urge to purchase him a miniature flight suit. Emma tried to be engaged, but the events from earlier continued to run through her mind. It didn't matter that she had taken a hot shower and scrubbed her skin; she could still smell Killian on her and even worse, she could still feel his body on hers. They were at lunch when the churning in Emma's stomach finally gave way to her actually getting sick. She excused herself just in time to make it to the bathroom and empty the content of her stomach.

"We should go," Regina offered, even though it was just after noon and she and Henry had barely finished their meal. "If you could just wrap everything up," she told the waitress quickly.

"Mommy, are you okay?" Henry questioned when they were back in the SUV and headed back to Regina's hotel.

"Yeah, I'm fine kid," Emma said, even though she still felt physically weak.

"How about we let Mommy lie down and we can go down to the pool…or maybe the beach," Regina suggested when they made it back to the room.

"I'm fine…really," Emma croaked, even though all of her thoughts felt jumbled and distant.

"I'll stay," Henry said gallantly. He was having fun, but he didn't want his Mommy to feel sick.

"I'm fine, kid…I promise," Emma said, making her way to the balcony. Regina's hotel was beachfront and she could smell some of the ocean water wafting in the air. "You should go swimming with your … you should go swimming. It'll be super fun," she offered a weak smile. Henry looked up at Regina, not really wanting to be in a room when he could be swimming.

"Can we go?" he asked cautiously, as if the offer may have evaporated by now.

"Sure. Go put your swimming gear on," Regina encouraged. When he was out of earshot, she went to stand in front of Emma. "Is it a bug?" Regina couldn't help placing her hand on Emma's forehead. "You're burning up," she said, worried.

"It's Florida, it's hot…" Emma tried to quip. "I just need a little rest. You know how I get when I'm sleep deprived."

"Okay," Regina gave up. "Take a nap…there is club soda and ginger ale in the fridge."

"I'm ready!" Henry bounced, full of energy, out of the back room.

"Then I should get ready too," Regina disappeared into the bedroom. She closed the door and Henry and Emma watched the water and chatted until she emerged again. Regina couldn't hide her satisfaction at the way Emma's eyes grazed over her curves, and the black one-piece swimsuit.

"You are wearing that?" Emma questioned, after she and Henry came back inside and Henry began to put on sunscreen under Regina's directions.

"Yeah, it's my M-O-M swimsuit. Nothing too revealing," she chuckled. She pulled a wrap from her oversized beach bag and handed Henry a pair of plastic sunglasses to match her real Gucci ones. "I thought he would like them," she smiled as Henry quickly put them on. "We'll be back up soon…and if you are up to it, I'll take you two out to dinner," she offered gingerly.

"I should feel fine later," she bent down and hugged Henry tightly before playfully swatting his bottom.

"Feel free to lay down, Emma," Regina said as she and Henry exited the room.

It didn't take long for Emma to take Regina up on that offer. She blotted her face with cold water, felt the room spinning a little again, and made her way to the bed. She had never felt so sick, or anxious in her life. She lay on the gloriously big bed and looked at the sunlight playing off of the ceiling. She slowly closed her eyes, and before she could comprehend what was happening, she was immersed in a dream-world.

* * *

"You not talking," Henry said obviously sad, because he wasn't getting all of Regina's attention.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," she said closing her eyes momentarily to the bright sunlight. Henry came closer and sat beside Regina in the sand. "What would you like to talk about, dear?" The little boy only shrugged. Regina decided that asking questions may be the best option. "Did you have fun seeing the planes today?"

Henry smiled and nodded his head rapidly.

"You know, my sister has planes…a lot of planes," she revealed.

"Does she fly 'em?" Henry asked with real interest.

"Yes, she can," Regina grinned. "She can fly a lot of different ones. She owns a company that flies a lot of people to all different places…"

"I wanna know how to fly…" Henry said dreamily.

"When you are older, I'm going to make sure you learn how to fly," Regina promised smiling.

"Really?" Henry looked so bright-eyed and innocent, it almost broke Regina's heart. "Will Mommy say it okay?"

"I really hope so. We could all fly together," Regina said and realized that she was hopeful for that. It startled her too much to put in words, or let form into a real thought. "Why don't we go check on Mommy and get some food?"

"Is Mommy hungry?" Henry asked standing and brushing himself off.

"Maybe, let's go see," Regina stood, packed everything up and lead Henry back to the hotel room.

When they reached the room, light flooded in, but both Henry and Regina could hear the soft snoring sounds Emma was making. "I think she's still asleep," Regina teased playfully. Her son dropped the towel he was holding and ran into the bedroom area. He found Emma sleeping peacefully there and became extra quiet. He turned and waited until Regina entered the room too. "She sleepin'," he whispered, which sounded more like his full voice.

"Why don't we get you washed up and when Mommy wakes up," Regina was actually kneeling and whispering. She was stopped when she heard Emma's voice.

"I'm awake now," she croaked, her voice still thickened by sleep. "Good time on the beach, kid?" she asked, swinging her feet to the side of the bed. Henry went over to Emma, nodding. He collapsed in her arms, like it was the safest place on the planet and Regina tried not to feel jealous.

"I'm going to hop into the shower," Regina announced, moving to the dresser and pulling out some clothes quickly. "Then, we can do dinner?"

Emma allowed her eyes to find Regina. "Yeah," she agreed gently. She was sad, embarrass and weak, but just finding Regina's eyes was enough to uncoil some of the misery in her stomach.

Regina showered and changed and then Emma got Henry ready. Emma told Regina it was important not to give Henry his way all of the time, so they found a restaurant that didn't involve a kids' theme, and actually had a nice sit-down dinner. They both had a glass of wine, and when dinner was actually over, Regina ordered dessert and coffee. She had always done that; at the end of a great meal, she and Emma would share a delectable dessert, cups of coffee and likely end up screwing for hours after the fact.

Emma shook the thought from her head, because it was quickly replaced with the thought and feel of Killian on top of her.

"Are you feeling, okay?" Regina's question broke through Emma's thoughts. Emma blinked several times, but focused on Henry looking at her across from the table. "I told him he should try the sorbet, because he had ice cream last night…" Regina recapped what she and Henry were just talking about.

Emma nodded quickly, "Yeah, listen to your m.. Regina," Emma corrected herself quickly. "Yeah, try the strawberry…you like strawberry."

Henry put his chin on the white tablecloth and pouted, but ultimately tried the strawberry sorbet, while Regina had the mint. They took Henry to a movie, and made it back to Regina's hotel around nine. "Are you going home tonight?" Regina asked in the warm night air. Before Emma had a chance to answer, Henry went over to Regina.

"We should tonight…" Emma said imply. She couldn't meet Regina's eyes this time.

"Yeah," Regina sighed, feeling vulnerable. "I get it…" she said woefully.

"It's just that…he'll get used to it," Emma sighed. She would too and that's what really scared her.

"Well, until tomorrow morning, right Henry?" Regina plastered on a smile and kneeled down before Henry. "May I have a hug?" she asked tenderly. He pushed out his little chest and then leapt into Regina's arms. "Goodnight, sweetheart. I'll see you tomorrow," she choked painfully, because she knew in two days, that wouldn't be the case every day.

* * *

The next two flew by at a blistering pace and watching the hurt and longing on Regina's face when she had to get ready to board her plane back to DC was painful for even Emma. She watched as Henry was quiet and distance, right up until he gave Regina a big hug, and tried not to cry as she disappeared through the crowd. "Why don't we get some food little guy?" Emma tried to pry some talking out of him with ice cream or an airport pretzel. Henry agreed to the pretzel, which was when Emma realized that she didn't have enough cash on her to pay for her and Henry's food. She rummaged through her wallet, looking for her card franticly, but coming up short. "Where could it be?" she searched. This was embarrassing and she was holding up the line. She quickly ushered Henry from the line and back to their car. "What could have happened to it, kid," she mumbled to herself more than to Henry. He was in the backseat, his little arms folded and looking out of the window. He missed Regina already and Emma could see him about to act out. "Hey, kid…everything is going to be okay…alright?"

"Gina gone…Ruby gone…" Henry said sadly, turning his little head to the side.

"Ruby is still around," Emma said turning to the backseat. "And Regina will be back…" Emma sighed. She couldn't think of everything at once, and right now, she had to figure out what happened to that damn card. She knew she hadn't dropped it; she barely ever used it. She liked cash…it was less traceable and readily accepted everywhere. "Think Emma," she closed her eyes momentarily. When Regina was around, she rarely paid for anything, so when was the last time she had used that damn card. She had spent cash for gas, some snacks for Henry…she had used that card…three days ago, she settled on; to get money out for breakfast and leave Killian cash. Emma shuddered at the realization. The last day she had used the card was when Killian and she had…

"Mommy…where are we going?" Henry asked for the third time.

"Henry, give me a minute," she squawked harshly. She didn't notice that Henry started to cry, because she was too busy figuring out that Killian likely had her damn ATM card and the pin number! She quickly pulled out her cell phone and dialed Killian's number. He hadn't showed up at the hotel room the night before, or the night before and now Emma felt like a complete idiot for being relieved not to see him! She wasn't going to get ahold of him anytime soon, that much she knew, so she pulled up her account information. Her stomach literally churned when she saw her account information. An account that two days ago had a little over thirty-seven hundred dollars in it, now had barely five hundred bucks. She was almost physically sick as she threw her cell phone into the passenger seat. She looked in the rearview mirror and saw tears running down Henry's face. She swallowed her frustration.

"Hey…hey, Henry, what's wrong?" but the boy didn't have the words to convey what was wrong. Sadly, neither did his mother.

* * *

Ruby massaged the arches of Dorothy's feet, which elicited a deep moan from her girlfriend. "Does it feel good, baby?" she teased lightly, moving up to Dorothy's calf.

"It feels amazing…I just can't understand why I'm getting all of this special treatment," Dorothy answered honestly.

"I've been a complete ass these last couple of days…the whole Emma thing…"

"Have you talked to her?" Dorothy asked caringly. She hated to see her girlfriend miserable and if it meant talking about Emma Swan to ease some of the burden, Dorothy was willing to do that.

"No…I'm not going to spend all of my time trying to chase her down either," Ruby said firmly. "Especially when I have better things to do," Ruby stopped massaging her girlfriend's feet and nestled herself between Dorothy's thighs now. "It's been a while…"

Dorothy only smiled and nodded.

"You feel great, Kansas," Ruby said rubbing Dorothy's outer thigh. She bent and kissed Dorothy playfully at first, but it quickly slid into a passionate embrace. "No one makes me as wet as you…"

"You tell everyone that, I'm sure," Dorothy said between kisses.

"Shit…not even," Ruby corrected her, pulling Dorothy's shorts off of her a bit. "I've never told anyone that…I've never loved anyone like I love you," Ruby's eyes flashed sincerely, before glazing over with lust.

"All of the girls," Dorothy managed to get out between kisses, "you say it to all of them," she giggled as Ruby's hands slipped under her shirt. It wasn't long before Ruby was parting her legs and settling in for what she assumed would be an afternoon of intense passion.

"Baby…" Dorothy moaned against Ruby's tongue stroke, "baby…the doorbell…"

Ruby kissed Dorothy's inner thigh. "Are you expecting someone," she sighed in frustration.

"Never," Dorothy said moving away from Ruby. "One of us should answer it," she slid to the edge of the couch and tried to calm her pulsating sex drive quickly.

"Let's ignore it…" Ruby suggested, trying to pull her girlfriend back in for a kiss. And they tried for nearly five minutes, but to no avail. "So, they aren't going away," Ruby finally gave in and allowed Dorothy to right herself before going to answer the door. "Emma," Ruby said stunned. "Henry!" she smiled down enthusiastically at the little boy. When either seemed particularly happy, Ruby immediately got an awful feeling. "What's wrong?"

"He stole your money?" Ruby was asking ten minutes later. Emma and Henry had gotten settled, but Emma still looked pale, nervous and frustrated. "And now he's missing?"

"He'll come back," Emma bit back tears. "Once he's spent it all…he'll be back."

"You can't stay, Emma," Dorothy said speaking up for the first time. Under normal circumstances, she would protest; protest Emma even being around since her last exit was so dramatic, but she could see that the woman was in real misery. "He took your money…it's just the first step…"

"What am I supposed to do; where am I supposed to go?" Emma questioned, almost in a trance.

"You have to tell, Regina," Ruby said evenly. "She could float you…"

"Do you realize how that sounds, Ruby. Like I can't take care of myself…I'm an adult," she wiped a few frustrated tears away.

"Hey, Henry…I think there are some new ducks down at the pond," Dorothy smiled at the little boy. "You want to go down and see them?"

Henry shook his head no, but did nothing when Dorothy scooped him up and headed to the front door.

When they had disappeared outside, Ruby became firmer with Emma. "How long are you going to put up with this shit?"

"Ruby…what I am…"

"Be a fucking adult…a real fucking adult, Em," Ruby said firmly. "He stole your money…he doesn't give a shit about you and Henry and I doubt he ever has! He's proving it, right now! Now, you can stay here tonight…you and Henry, but tomorrow, get in your car and leave Florida."

Emma broke down in tears. "I can't leave Florida, Ruby. The absolute only things I have are in Florida…you are in Florida…"

"This is not about wanting to be around me…you can't keep covering for him," Ruby said evenly now.

"I can't just abandon him, Rubes. You know what it feels like to be abandon…you know what it feels like."

Ruby did know what it felt like; she also knew that this wasn't love. She just didn't know how to make Emma realize as much. "Emma, what can I do to make you realize that this isn't healthy…" Emma wiped her eyes mournfully. "You were with Regina most of the week…"

"It's not about her…" Emma said quickly.

"Emma, come on! I know you better than you know yourself," Ruby leaned back further in her chair. "The feelings, they were still there?"

"Not important," Emma said strongly.

Ruby realized that Emma wasn't going to admit anything. "Stay here tonight and tomorrow morning, we'll put Henry in the car and drive the fuck away from Florida."

"It's not that easy…" Emma hated the fact that it really was that easy. She could get in her car, drive to where Regina was and for Henry's sake, Regina would move heaven and earth to make sure they were okay. But what would that mean, and how would Regina look at her, really? She would feel like an idiot; an idiot for being with someone like Killian and since this was her own mess, she wasn't about to include Regina in it any more than she already had. "I'll figure this out, Ruby. I just need…I just need a friend right now," Emma said defeatedly. "I know what I did …what I said to you…but please, don't stop being my friend," she pleaded softly.

Ruby's eyes lit up for a moment. "It never crossed my mind," she said honestly. "Never once crossed my mind…" she hugged her best friend. "You are definitely spending the night though," Ruby said firmly. "At least give it a night to think about it…"

"What about Dorothy…she hasn't said…"

Ruby closed her eyes, but said firmly, "I'll…I'll handle Dorothy," which sounded a lot easier than it ended up being. Dorothy was not the type of person to blow up or participate in screaming fights. Instead, when Ruby announced that Emma needed to spend the night, Dorothy only arched a brow, called the bar and told them that she could pick up that extra shift for one of the other managers. Ruby realized that her girlfriend knew this would hurt her the most. Especially since Ruby had complained earlier that morning that they didn't spend enough time together already. Still, she swallowed her emotions and hung out with Emma and Henry as her girlfriend headed to work.

"She looks angry," Emma sighed just after Dorothy left for work.

Ruby shrugged playfully, helping Emma make the couch up for the night. Henry was in the bathroom brushing his teeth and putting on his pajamas, even though it was just after seven. "That's her normal face," Ruby stuck her tongue out. "She'll be fine…"

"I don't want to cause problems for you, Ruby," Emma said, finally sitting on the made-up couch.

"Do you need something to wear tonight?" Ruby ignored the comment.

"Yeah, thanks," Emma nodded. Her cell phone rang on the coffee table beside them and she jumped momentarily. She couldn't take Killian right now and if he were looking for her, she'd scream. She peered at the cell phone screen and let out a breath. "It's Regina…" she hated that her voice burst with a bit of excitement. Ruby nodded and went to her bedroom to find Emma something to wear for the night.

"Hello, Regina. You landed safely?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry it took so long to call. I had an impromptu meeting with a client," Regina rambled. She felt like if she stopped talking, she would fall asleep right there on the phone. "How is our boy?" she asked, wanting to sound playful, yet the gravity of the words dawned on them both. "How is Henry?" she amended.

"He's brushing his teeth and getting ready for bed," Emma informed his other mother. "Would you like to talk to him?"

"Please," Regina requested softly. She talked to Henry for about three minutes and made him laugh a few times before she told him goodnight. She wanted to add, 'I love you,' but she wasn't sure her son was ready to hear that from her. "He sounds lively still…" she said when Emma took the phone over again.

"He gets excited to hear from you," Emma admitted softly.

"I love hearing from him too," Emma could hear the smile in Regina's voice. "I'm not sure when I'll get back to Florida," Regina began sadly. "Likely Saturday morning or afternoon. And it won't be a four-day trip this time; likely just the weekend. I'm settling my schedule though…"

"I understand, Regina. I really do," Emma stopped her. "Whenever you get back, Henry will be ready and excited to see you."

"I wish everyone felt that way; you should have seen my team when I returned and called a meeting this evening…"

"Maybe it's because you called a meeting on Sunday afternoon," Emma laughed.

"It was barely an hour long," Regina laughed too, "and furthermore, mostly everyone was at work today…"

"So, you hired a bunch of workolics?" Emma laughed even harder.

"It was not my intention to, but yes, maybe I hired workolics," Regina agreed slowly. "Maybe I'm just bad at this all around…"

"You don't believe that," Emma said seriously now. "I've never known you to be bad at anything," she uttered sincerely.

There was a thorough pause, before Regina ventured to speak again. "I don't know, Emma. I felt like I did something wrong this week…with us…I mean with you."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked in horror.

"I don't know," Regina was poised to correct herself. "Things just seemed strained by Thursday. I was hopeful after Wednesday, but…"

"You didn't do anything wrong," Emma's stomach flopped just hearing those words from Regina. She could never tell Regina the truth; that she was ashamed and that's why she became so cold. After Killian had weaseled her into bed on Thursday morning, she couldn't possibly look Regina in the eye.

"I just don't want this to be hard for any of us," Regina stated again. "And on Wednesday, I had real hope we could achieve that..."

"We will still achieve that. My attitude and behavior this past week was my fault. But of course, I want you and Henry to have a great relationship."

"It's always going to include you, Emma. You and I have to have a decent relationship to make this work at all," Regina tried to explain, even though it was frustrating. "I don't know how to say this," she said feebly. "Emma, just know…if there is anything that YOU need, I'm here for you too. We aren't together and we will never be again," she swallowed slowly, "but you are Henry's mother too and your comfort affects him…so if there is anything…"

"Thank you, Regina."

"Okay, I should be getting to bed. I have a long week ahead," the smile was back in Regina's voice. "Kiss Henry goodnight for me please," and with that she was gone.

Emma hung up, more confused now than she had ever been. No one said this would be easy, but she was sure it didn't have to be this hard.

Dorothy returned home a little after two in the morning, but everyone was sound asleep. She grabbed a quick shower, made herself a sandwich as quietly as possible, and slid into her bed beside Ruby. Ruby stretched against her girlfriend, but couldn't bring herself to wake up. It didn't matter, because Dorothy settled into sleep herself in no time.

She had no real time to sleep, however, because sometime before four in the morning, a persistent banging drew she and Ruby out of their sleep.

"What in the hell!" Ruby grumbled, rolling over and bumping into her girlfriend. Dorothy said nothing, just opened her bedtable drawer and pulled out a loaded gun. "Kansas…" Ruby said, light on her heels now that Dorothy was awake and moving out of the bedroom. Dorothy was already at the front door, before Ruby finally caught up. Henry and Emma were obviously confused, but Dorothy seemed on a mission.

"Who the hell is it?" Dorothy asked roughly. She peeped through the small hole on the door and frowned even more deeply. "It's Killian Jones," disgust dripped from her words.

"Shoot him then," Ruby suggested.

Dorothy turned and looked at her girlfriend, "Don't give me ideas," she cautioned. She unlocked and then slung the door open. She was rewarded with Killian nearly falling to the floor in her living room.

"Where's my …where's Emma," he stammered. "She never comes home anymore," he leaned against the doorjamb miserably.

"Killian!" Emma choked. "What are you doing here…it's four in the morning!"

"I want you home," he spat.

"Killian, did you steal my money?" Emma asked, trying to sound calm and in control. Killian's eyes darted around in the mild darkness. Only a lamp beside the couch was on, and it obvious that Killian was too drunk to stand.

"Your money?" Killian seemed genuinely bruised. "Our money…"

"No…her money," Ruby jumped in, but was gently pulled back by Dorothy.

"I'm the man of the house… I gotta have the money, Emma," he stumbled over his words. "I looked for a place for us," he lied, "but some shithead took a deposit…" his words were getting scrambled in his own head. "Get your stuff," he sighed miserably. "We'll talk about this…home…" he managed before his legs gave out weakly against the wall.

"Mommy," Emma could hear Henry crying behind her. He was little, scared and likely a bit embarrassed at having to see this.

"How did you even find me?" Emma asked, moving over to gather Henry in her arms. "It's okay, baby," she cooed softly. "It's okay…" the little boy was shaking a little, but calmed in his mother's arms.

"Emma…baby," Killian found the strength to stand up. "I don't wanna talk about this shit in front of them," he looked at both Dorothy and Ruby sharply. "Take us home and we'll talk then…why do you always gotta make a scene!" he huffed.

Emma stared at him incredulously. "Get out, Killian!" she said with more force than she thought she possessed. "Get out and go back to the hotel room on your own…. sleep it off…"

"Emma!" Killian looked at her with apparent disbelief.

"Get out!" Emma repeated a little louder this time and pulled Henry closer to her body. "I'm serious! You've taken something that wasn't yours and now you are here scaring Henry at four in the morning. Get out!"

Killian's face flushed with embarrassment as Dorothy and Ruby moved in front of him to block his view of Emma and Henry. There was nothing he could do right now, but his blood boiled from the frustration. He wanted to get to Emma, grab her and drag her out to her car and make her drive them home, but the two dykes stood in his way. He stumbled back across the threshold of the door and back into the stuffy Florida night. He took one last look at Emma Swan, who was cooing and kissing Henry's head like he was a fucking newborn, and tried to swallow some of his revulsion. "If I leave, I'm not coming back," it was an ill-fated and weak threat, but he thought he should offer it up.

"Good," Ruby chirped in.

Emma refused to even look at the door and it made Killian so mad it was the first moment that he knew he had to make her pay for this. Yeah, Emma Swan would definitely pay for this, he decided on his long walk to nowhere in particular.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: All mistakes are mine. I tried to find a way to shorten the chapters some, but I'm pretty sure I need every part for the proper flow of the story. As always, I love to hear from you all, so please review and comment and don't hesitate to drop me a line! Enjoy!**

Chapter Eight

Regina Mills hated David Nolan for this exact reason. He owned, through his wife's money, a marketing company that her best friend, Kathryn had begged for Regina to use for her new marketing campaign. Of course, with seven days before the launch of her new product, David was still delivering subpar campaigns.

"I take it you aren't happy with this either," he said in disbelief. He looked back at his "secretary," the little twerp that Regina had never trusted, and rolled his eyes as if Regina couldn't see him. "Nothing is ever good enough for you, Mills."

"This subpar shit is not good enough, David," she said angrily. For as much as she was paying him, he should want this marketing campaign to be perfect. "I understand that you don't have to give a shit, because Kathryn is willing to inject money into your business every month so you can run around with Lolita there, but my business can't fail. And I definitely won't let it fail on the back of your bullshit attempt at being a real business owner. Now, you've had months to get this right…you have one last chance and if tomorrow morning, I'm not blown away by your presentation, you don't have to worry about being paid…or ever working in this part of the country again." Her brown eyes turned steely with every word she spoke. David was about to speak, but Regina cut him off quickly. "I would shut up right now, take my assistant and start working, because I am deadly serious about you never working again," she promised.

David bit his lower lip, opened Regina's office door and waited until Mary Margaret exited and then followed her. Regina pressed the intercom button and had her assistant send Graham in. "Tell me you have a back-up marketing campaign," she sighed to one of her newly hired sales managers.

Graham grinned artfully. "Of course, I do," he nodded. "I hate leaving these things in other peoples' hands."

"Thank god," Regina sighed, happy that she had hired the young man straight out of college. "Please, have it completely ready by tomorrow morning. I would like it be ready to go toe-to-toe with Nolan's presentation tomorrow."

"Of course, Ms. Mills," he headed out of her office. It was now midday and Regina decided to order in lunch for her ten employees that worked in-office daily. She finally settled back and looked at the email that Mal had sent her a few days earlier. Although it had been three weeks since she had met Killian Jones, she still hated him with a blazing passion. That was why she had asked Mal about the best investigator she knew. Mal had gladly given her the information, but Regina had been more than hesitant to contact her. She didn't want to meddle, and even more, things were going okay. She had been back to Florida three times, once each week, and she tried desperately not to meddle in Emma's life. Emma, literally never talked about Killian and when Regina was in town, she was open to letting Henry stay with her those one or two nights. Still, something was off…more than Killian being a jackass, and sometimes, Regina longed for answers.

"I haven't seen a face that long since your chem finals freshman year in college," a voice from her office door announced. Regina looked up and her brown eyes lit up like a match. She had been too deep in thought and focused on Mal's email to notice that her sister, Zelena and her baby girl, Robyn were at the door.

"What are you doing here?" Regina's mouth broke out into a wide smile. She quickly moved to the door and took baby Robyn in her arms. "Oh my gosh, you are so beautiful," she cooed at the baby girl, who looked up at her aunt happily. "You've gotten so big," she said kissing her cheeks.

"Which I can't understand, because she never sleep…" Zelena said, not trying to stifle a yawn.

Regina looked up at her sister and smiled. "I thought you were in France…and wouldn't be back until early May." It was now mid-April, the weekend before Easter as a matter-of-fact, and Zelena had been all around Europe checking out the new planes coming out of France.

Zelena closed the door behind her and then sat beside Regina on the small couch in her office. "That was before I knew I was an aunt," Zelena raised an eyebrow. It was the most surprising conversation she had had with her sister since Regina had come out in their teenage years. "It's not every day that my little sister gets someone pregnant."

Regina kissed Robyn's forehead, "I'm ignoring you," Regina said, playing with her niece.

"Aww, ignore me then," Zelena stuck her tongue out. "I'd like to go to sleep for about two weeks."

"No one said parenthood was going to be this difficult," Regina agreed.

Zelena looked at her sister and smiled, "how is parenthood?"

"Terrifying," Regina admitted. "He's energetic and funny and his smile makes my heart melt," Regina said sadly. "It kills me that I can't see Henry every day."

"What needs to happen for you to see him daily?" Zelena asked, ruffling though Robyn's bag to find her bottle. "Would you try to feed her? It's been almost three hours," Zelena said handing the bottle to her sister. Regina did so gladly and Robyn hungrily accepted her bottle.

"I don't know," Regina answered honestly. "I don't want to push Emma, but I want my son around. I bought a house in Columbia. It has a backyard and a playground down the street…" she said dreamily.

"Does Emma know?"

"No…we don't talk about anything but Henry right now," she explained what happened three weeks before with her, Emma and ultimately Killian. "I don't want to be that person…the one that does an investigation on her ex-girlfriend's boyfriend…"

"Hell, if you feel like it's warranted," Zelena noted. "You've always had great instincts, and if you think he's an ass…"

"I may just think he's an ass because he's banging the mother of my son," Regina offered up.

"Really, that's the only reason you want to get him checked out?"

Regina thought about it a moment. "I don't know," Robyn had stopped feeding and was just sucking on the bottle now. Regina sat her up and burped her. "You did so well, gorgeous," Regina encouraged. The little girl's eyes fluttered closed a few times before she went to sleep. "Is she always this good?"

"God, no," Zelena closed her eyes too. "She is up crying, farting, sneezing, just doing a bit of everything…all the time…and mostly at night when I want to be asleep."

"Not this angel," Regina shook her head. "How long are you staying?"

"Just through the weekend," she answered. "Then I'm headed to Connecticut…"

"To visit her?" Regina asked with obvious disdain.

"She is our mother, Regina."

Regina refused to comment. She rocked the baby gently and sighed. She prayed that she would never have to introduce her son to Cora Mills, but Zelena had always wanted a relationship with their mother, even when it was detrimental to her.

"But of course, I'm not leaving until after Sierra and Crimson's gala," Zelena said when she realized that Regina wouldn't comment on their mother.

"Jesus, that is this weekend!" Regina nearly yelled with the baby in her arms. "I completely forgot…I was going to Florida…"

"Those girls would be heartbroken and isn't your company sponsoring Crimson's spring project? You can't not be at this event," Zelena rationalized. "Just have them fly up. That way you can show Emma the house and maybe you can actually get some rest…"

"Ugh, rest sounds so nice," Regina smiled. "So damn good…"

Zelena slapped her sister's leg playful. "So you go ahead and get that private investigator to Florida and your son up here for the weekend."

"You make it sound so easy," Regina said kissing Robyn's little cheeks again.

"It is so easy," Zelena promised her little sister. "It really is."

* * *

"Henry's child support came in today, so I'm thinking about finding an apartment this week," Emma whispered as she watched Henry in the kitchen helping Dorothy. Dorothy laughed at the little boy trying to eat spaghetti noodles as she stirred tomato sauce.

"Why?" Ruby frowned. She realized that it had been two weeks since Emma had left Killian and moved in with them, but she didn't want Emma to leave and end up back with that jackass. "I know the couch isn't the most comfortable, but…"

"Listen, you and Dorothy have been more than nice to us," Emma said truly thankfully. "But we can't live here forever, Rubes…"

"Dinner is almost ready," Dorothy yelled into the living room. Henry helped set the table and everyone sat down to a meal together. After dinner, Ruby and Dorothy decided to go for a walk and Emma got Henry bathed for bed. They had just finished up when Henry hit her with an unexpected question.

"Is Killwin gone?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, I think he's gone for good," Emma answered honestly. Of course, Killian still called and texted every day, but she had been strong in ignoring him.

"So, I got no dad," Henry said sadly.

"Sweetheart, Killian was never your father," Emma tried to stay calm. "Listen, kid…not everyone has a father, and you don't have one. But a lot of people love you…"

"Like who? Henry asked confused.

"Like me, silly," Emma tickled him and he laughed. "And Ruby and Dorothy and Regina," she said slowly. Henry nodded at all the names, especially Regina. "Henry…sometimes people have different types of families. You don't have a father…but you do have a mom…"

"Yeah, you, silly!" Henry jumped in Emma's arms and tickled her.

"No, kid. I mean, you have two moms," she blurted out.

Henry sat back on the couch and cocked an eyebrow, reminding Emma of Regina. "I have two moms?"

Emma realized that she had perhaps gotten ahead of herself. Still, she took a deep breath and continued. "Yes. You have two moms," Emma nodded. "Regina is your mommy too, Henry." She sat back and gauged the little boy's reaction.

After a minute, he nodded. "That why she visit? And calls?

Emma grinned slowly, realizing that Henry got it. "Yeah, that's why, kid."

"She don't want me to call her Mommy?" Henry asked with some confusion.

"I'm pretty sure if you called her Momma or mom it would make her really happy," Emma revealed. "Would you like to call her and ask?" Henry nodded eagerly. He sat in his mother's lap and watched her pull up the video-chat feature on her iPhone. It took a few minutes, but Regina's face finally popped onto the screen.

"Hi, mom!" Henry said smiling and waving enthusiastically.

Regina was obviously stunned, so Emma stepped in. "Henry and I had a very important conversation a little while ago," she tried to explain before Regina said anything.

"Oh…" was all Regina could manage immediately. She could feel her eyes well with tears. "Hi Henry…"

"Mommy said you are my momma too," he said quickly, happy to reveal his new truth.

"Wow," Regina was truly blindsided. She had no idea how to respond, so she said what came to her mind first. "I love you, Henry," she said sincerely.

"I wuv you too," Henry said easily. "I gotta brush my teeth," he shouted as if he just remembered. He hopped down and was back in the bathroom before Regina or Emma could stop him.

"That was surprising," Regina said, still obviously shocked. "What…what happened?"

Emma explained to Regina the best she could. "And since Killian and I aren't together anymore…"

"Wait…when do you leave him?" Regina drew a blank. She had been to Florida three times and Emma never once mentioned that she and that jerk wasn't together anymore. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Emma didn't have an answer. "I guess I was just…" Henry returned and jumped back in her arms. "Mom!" he said obviously comfortable with calling Regina that now. He talked about a little bit of everything, before wanting to watch some television before bed. Dorothy and Ruby had returned, so Emma took the phone outside.

"I'm sorry you weren't here in person when I told him…it's just…"

"When did you leave Killian?" Regina questioned, now feeling really stupid that she had spent a lot of money to hire someone to dig up stuff on him earlier that day.

"After you left the first time…" Emma admitted slowly.

"Oh," Regina said thinking back to her and Killian's initial meeting. "Listen, Emma…this week is going to be slammed packed and I'm hoping to get moved into my new house by the end of the week. I was wondering if you could help me out and bring Henry to DC this weekend instead of me flying to Pensacola. I know it's not our agreement and I'll understand if you can't…"

"Yeah…I can bring him to DC, Regina," Emma agreed easily.

An obvious weight was lifted from Regina's chest. She had stressed and stressed about this, and the fact that Emma was open to being cooperative meant a lot to her. "Wonderful," Regina smiled, relieved. "Zelena and Robyn are here and Crimson and Sierra are throwing a charity fun-day for some local kids that my company co-sponsors, so I really need to be here this weekend. I really didn't want to miss seeing my son, though." Regina was quiet for a moment. "He knows he's my son," she said in somewhat disbelief.

"He's quite happy about it," Emma revealed honestly.

"Thank you, Emma," Regina could feel her tears fall, but didn't try to wipe them away. "Thank you so much…"

Emma squirmed, uncomfortable on the bench that she had settled on by the pond. "It's no problem, Regina. Really." Emma was a bit relieved too. She wanted to get away for a while and this was the perfect opportunity to clear her head in the place she once loved. This trip to DC was just what she needed, or at least that's what she thought.

* * *

Zelena shifted her baby from one shoulder to the other and stared down the salesperson. "This looks damningly uncomfortable, dear," she frowned at the young man. "And it's beige. We have children…do you know what happens with beige and children?" She looked at the rounded off couch and shook her head. "It's no good; really, it isn't. She has a three-year-old son…he's gonna wanna jump and spill things…this couch is not suitable," she got out before Robyn started squealing.

"How about this one?" the man showed Zelena another couch in a similar shape.

"Comfy, honey…for nearly four thousand dollars, the damn couch should be comfortable," Zelena shouted over her daughter's cries. Nothing was wrong with Robyn; she just didn't want to be awake midday, so Zelena placed her back in her stroller and rocked her gently.

"But this one is in dark blue," the man offered, as if it changed something.

Zelena rolled her eyes and was happy when she saw Regina emerge from the bedroom section of the store. "Did you find anything?" she questioned her sister, obviously ignoring the salesperson.

"Nothing I'm truly in love with," Regina admitted sadly.

"Well, this young gentle doesn't seem to understand the word comfortable; therefore, I don't think this is our store," Zelena rolled her eyes one last time at the young man. As she and Regina headed outside into the cool April air, Regina rubbed her hands nervously. She had invited Emma and Henry to DC two days early, and they would be arriving tomorrow, and she didn't even have furniture. She was becoming stressed and she hated stress in her personal life.

"Maybe I invited them up too early," she said nervously, once they were settled in the car. Robyn was asleep now and Zelena and Regina were headed back to Regina's office. "I can't have this house pulled together in one day…"

"Then don't worry about it," Zelena offered. "Emma has seen an empty house before…I'm pretty sure she has lived in a few," she joked playfully. The line fell flat with her sister. "Hey," her voice took on that same big sister tone that it did when she was taking control of a situation, "if you don't mind Robyn and me picking out some of your furniture, I can get the main pieces for your house."

Regina's brown eyes found her sister and some of the stress dissipated immediately. "Really?" she said like a hopeful child.

"We aren't doing much else," Zelena laughed looking at her daughter sleeping against her car seat.

"That would be so helpful; I really couldn't thank you enough…"

"You don't have to thank me, Regina," Zelena dismissed the thought. "You are my little sister," she reminded her. "I wanna help you any way I can…you just handle business and I'll handle your beautiful house." They stopped in front of Regina's office building. "Now go handle business. I'll pick you up for dinner at six, promptly," Zelena said playfully.

Regina was about to exit the car, but stopped. "I really miss you being around all the time, Zelena," she said with a mixture of truth and sadness.

A clear sadness colored Zelena's green eyes too, "I know, Regina. But you never know; I may fall back in love with DC," she winked deviously. "Six," she swatted Regina as she exited the vehicle.

Regina watched the car move through traffic and for once dreaded going back to work. She had fired David Nolan the day before and was waiting for Kathryn's wrath. However, she made it through the entire workday without hearing from her friend and actually, was pretty productive. In less than six hours she had approved the new marketing campaign, video-conferenced with her two primary programmers and set up another meeting with Mr. Gold about outfitting his company with special protective software for his files and records. She was closing in on a very lucrative deal with Mr. Gold and she couldn't be more excited. Plus, Crimson had sent her over the final prints of the booths and banners that would represent the company in her fundraiser over the weekend and Regina had to admit that she was thoroughly impressed. Perhaps she should have hired the kid instead of David Nolan for her marketing.

She leaned over and pressed one of her speed dial numbers and in a few rings, Mal picked up. "It's impressive," Regina said immediately.

"Well, Crimson will be thrilled you think so. She worked very hard on this gala. The entire day…she's already raise nearly a hundred thousand dollars and of course I'm going to match it…"

"You're really proud of her," a smile spread across Regina's face. Her friend was so cute when it came to her family.

"She had been planning and organizing for nearly a year. She is the first sophomore to receive the honor of heading this gala. It's important; not to mention, I won't see any of girls for two weeks after Easter and now my wife is threatening to go back on tour," Mal admitted grimly. "I'm gonna be all alone for two weeks…"

"I thought Ursula was through touring," Regina scratched her temples.

"I did too."

Regina was about to say something, but Kathryn Nolan entered her office and slammed the door behind her. "Mal, we'll have to talk about this later. My five o'clock cussing out just arrived…" she hung up and before she could speak, Kathryn stopped her.

"He needed this fucking job, Regina," Kathryn said more exhausted, than angry. "What is he going to do otherwise?"

"Perhaps step up his game, take his job seriously! He did the bare minimum and expected to keep the contract," Kathryn.

Kathryn closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair. "I think he's fucking her, Regina," Kathryn admitted defeatedly. "That little twerp secretary with the big eyes that laughs at all his jokes…and doesn't even take dictation. Yet, she obviously takes dick," Kathryn shuttered. "I thought maybe if he were working, serious work, then maybe he would see how valuable we are together."

"Your value and his aren't tied to one another," Regina reminded her best friend, quickly.

"You are supposed to say there is no way he's sticking his dick into that twit," Kathryn brushed a runaway tear aside. When Regina said nothing, Kathryn only nodded, "but you won't say that because we don't lie to one another. I hate life sometimes, Regina."

"Because of him? You aren't losing anything, Kathryn…"

"I'm losing my husband, Regina," Kathryn was clearly disappointed that her friend didn't seem to understand. Even though Regina didn't like him, Kathryn truly loved her husband.

Regina had no real words of comfort to offer up. When people disappointed or crossed her, she tended to leave. "What can I do for you?" she asked feebly.

Kathryn shook her head while standing. "I just have to figure this out myself," she said heading to the door. She headed out the door and closed it behind her.

By six, Regina was happy to see Zelena actually return. She was exhausted, but had accomplished everything she needed to. Her next four days would be pretty easy. "Good shopping day?" she asked sliding into the back of the car with Zelena and Robyn. The little girl was asleep once again, but Regina kissed her anyways.

"Driver, take us to Columbia, please," Zelena requested. Then she turned back to her sister. "You look exhausted.

"It's been a long couple of days," Regina closed her eyes to the setting sun.

"It's always a long couple of days for you, Regina. You've always been a workaholic."

"I've never understood how you've made running a company look so easy," Regina sighed. She had always tried to keep up with her older sister, but always felt like she fell short miserably.

The car stopped in front of her newly purchased home and Regina eyed her sister suspiciously. Still, she unhooked Robyn and allowed Zelena to lead them to the front door. "Okay, mind you, I just had six hours," she warned, but smiled brightly. She opened the front door and turned back to Regina. "I had all of your locks changed, just for the hell of it…"

Regina didn't respond, because she was in complete and utter shock. From her foyer, to living room, to den and dining room, everything was put together perfectly. She had chosen a dark gray sectional couch for the den and gorgeous matching tables, and a comfortable looking recliner, while going completely classic in the living room with regal "adult" furniture in that area. The dining room held a large table, enough to accommodate at least eight place settings and a beautiful handcrafted buffet and matching china cabinet.

"These chairs are amazing," was all Regina could manage.

"Yeah, I fell in love with them," Zelena nodded in agreement. "Your things for the office will be delivered tomorrow morning and the bedrooms will be furnished along with them. Zelena was surprised when Regina pulled her into a side hug, because as family, they rarely hugged. Robyn hummed and opened her eyes.

"Thank you so much…"

"Regina, sometimes you have to let other people help you," Zelena reminded her, taking the baby from her arms. "You have enough on your plate and now trying to get this house straight in no time flat is not one of them."

Regina walked through her now furnished home one more time. "How did you get all of this done and delivered this quickly?"

"Dear, a black card speaks volumes," Zelena's laughter filled the room. Even Robyn smiled happily. "The only room I didn't buy for was Henry's room," she remembered. Regina turned and looked at her sister. "Boy's first room is special, right?" her sister shrugged.

A slow smile broke out on Regina's face. "Yeah…Henry's first room will be in this house," she grinned happily. Shaking her head in amazement one last time, Regina thanked her sister again. "Let me buy you dinner," she offered humbly.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Zelena winked, just happy that her little sister was happy for once.

* * *

"So, you guys are at the airport now?"

Emma rolled her eyes playfully. Regina had called three times since seven this morning and it was only ten. She was worried about Henry's first plane ride, worried that they wouldn't make their flight, worried overall about the weekend, but Emma actually found it pretty cute. Regina had bought the tickets the second after she agreed to come and from that point one, she had been on edge.

"Regina, we are going to be fine," Emma promised playfully. "We'll be landing at two-thirty."

"I'll be at the airport…"

"I was just going to rent a car," Emma informed her.

"I'm going to get you guys," Regina said firmly. "And you are more than welcome to drive one of my cars," she offered. "Lord knows I never do…"

"What are you doing with a car, Mills?"

"I have a house here now," Regina reminded Emma, nonchalantly. "So, I needed at least one car…I mean, I actually have two here but…" she stopped herself. "I'm babbling," she laughed nervously. "I'm just really excited, Emma. Thank you for this…"

"I've told you," Emma could hear she and Henry's plane number being called for boarding. "It is seriously no problem. Now, Regina, we are boarding now, we'll see you soon, okay?" Emma heard a soft giggle in Regina's voice and almost melt. "Here kid, tell your mom you'll see her later before we board." Henry happily did so and Emma hung up the phone and helped Henry with his carry-on bag. She had never seen her son this excited and from the time the planes took off until they landed, he was wide eyed and alert. Still, his happiness paled in comparison to how he reacted when he saw Regina at the gate.

"Mom!" he exclaimed, dropping his tiny bag and running to leap into Regina's arms. "I missed you!" he admitted quickly, before wrapping his arms around Regina's neck. The look on Regina's face was priceless.

"Hi, sweetheart," she tried to sound even, but Emma could hear the emotion in her voice. "I missed you too. Did you have a good flight?"

"Yeah. I saw the clouds!" he said dreamily as Emma caught up to them.

Regina looked over Henry's head and smiled softly. "Did you now?" she asked as if she were surprised.

"I got peanuts and a soda," he relayed.

Regina nodded. She turned to Emma, "Do you have to stop at baggage?"

"We just carried on," Emma said with her and Henry's bags in her arms. She saw that Regina was going to end up carrying Henry, because he wasn't letting go of his mom, so she was left carrying the bags. When they made it to parking, she was pleasantly surprised to see the XC60 Volvo that Regina stopped beside.

"Is this yours?" Emma asked cautiously. "You drove this?"

"I know how to drive, Emma," Regina frowned. She unlocked the vehicle, opened the trunk and Emma put her and Henry's bags inside.

"You hate driving, Regina."

Emma looked around the car. "Is this brand new?" she questioned, looking at the flawless black leather seats, and exterior.

Regina had let Henry down and he had climbed into the backseat, where a booster seat sat on the passenger side of the car. "No," Regina shook her head. She had actually had this vehicle for nearly six months; she just NEVER used it. It had been housed at garage on the off case that she ever wanted to drive in the DC area, but now both of her vehicles were at her house. "Are you going to give me the third degree on my car, or are you going to drive it?" Regina asked cockily.

"I can drive your car, Regina?" Emma asked in almost disbelief. She watched as Regina's brown eyes narrowed in annoyance and she couldn't help but think how cute; no sexy, Regina was today. She had the sexiest plaid fitted dress on, with a large red belt tied at her curvy waist. Her legs looked amazing, and Emma knew she was going to have a problem not staring at this woman the entire weekend.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Are you planning to do be difficult all weekend, Ms. Swan?" she whispered holding out her car keys to Emma. Emma closed to space between them and smiled as Regina obviously tensed at her being this close to her.

"No," Emma took the keys from Regina and shuttered when their fingers touched. "I won't be difficult," she promised softly. "Where are we going?"

Regina backed away. "Columbia," she finally smiled. "I have something to show you guys."

"Wow!" Henry yelped as he struggled out of his booster seat when Emma pulled into the driveway of Regina's new home. Emma watched Regina grin proudly that her son seemed impressed. She couldn't however, muster the same level of excited. The house was absolutely gorgeous, and the neighborhood was to die for; but it only dredged up memories of the home she and Regina had once shared.

"Come on, let's go inside," Regina encouraged. She and Henry bolted up the stairs and entered the house. Emma followed slowly and had to admit at how impressed she was by the house. It was four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms, a huge den and a beautiful living and dining room. Not to mention how gorgeous the kitchen was, which Emma knew that Regina loved since she was a wonderful cook. Regina was allowing Henry to run around, and she finally led him to his room.

"I want you to pick out your own stuff," she revealed to him slowly. She giggled at the way his eyes lit up at that comment.

"I have my own room?" he asked in disbelief. He didn't notice how hurt Emma looked at that question. She had never provided her son his own anything, really, and it shattered her heart that he realized that.

"Yes, Henry, you have your own room," Regina said walking around the big open space with him.

"I want two beds!" he yelled, rolling on the plush carpet. He ran around and played in the empty space while Regina went back and found Emma.

Regina's heart dropped when she noticed the sour look on Emma's face. "You don't like it?" she asked mournfully. She agreed to this house, perhaps a little subconsciously, because she knew that Emma would like this style house. Two-story with a big open kitchen and a nice deck out back. She remembered how much Emma loved talking to her while she cooked in the kitchen and how much she loved sitting outside on the deck of their last townhouse. She had made sure there were enough bedrooms for Emma to have her own suite with bathroom, but Emma didn't seem excited at all.

"It's a beautiful house, Regina," Emma said softly.

"So, you don't like it," Regina sighed, taking a seat on one of the stools pulled up to the breakfast bar.

"No, Regina. I really do," Emma corrected her. "It's just a lot. It's beautiful, but…" she didn't have the words to describe the problem.

"Did you see your room?" Regina changed the subject quickly.

"I have a room?" Emma questioned with obvious surprise. "Why do I have a room?"

"Emma," Regina sighed in frustration. She hopped off of the stool and inadvertently took Emma by the hand, leading her off the kitchen and down the hallway to one of the master suites. "They are almost identical," she relayed to Emma about the bedrooms. "The furniture is similar too…Zelena picked it out. The other bedroom is upstairs right down from Henry's. It's your choice…"

Emma was so overwhelmed, she couldn't keep the tears at bay now. She didn't want to cry in front of Regina, but it wasn't the first time it had happened, so she let her tears flow for a minute.

"What's wrong?" Regina asked, pulling Emma into a hug before she could think to stop herself. She realized she was lost in the moment, but she tilted Emma's chin upward so they could look eye to eye. "What's really going on, Em?" she asked cautiously. "A house can't be making you this upset." When Emma wouldn't speak, Regina just pulled her back into a hug and held her. "Hey, we're friends…" she offered.

"But we're not," Emma hiccupped. "I fucked up and now everything is terrible."

Regina recoiled a bit, assuming that Emma was talking about between she and Killian. She didn't want to know and she definitely didn't want to think about it. She pulled herself back. "I'm sorry you feel that way," she offered imply. "But nothing is screwed up, I'm sure. I'm sure you and Killian will…" she couldn't finish that sentence.

Emma looked at Regina strangely. "I'm not talking about with him…I mean with us…we could have been a family, Regina," Emma cried harder now. She had been trying to run from it or ignore it for years, but something about today broke the dam of her emotions.

"Emma, we are a family, whether we like it or not," Regina said playfully.

"I'm doubting you like it…" Emma hiccupped.

Emma allowed herself to be pulled in again against Regina. "We're fine…we are all fine," she cooed softly against Emma's ear.

"Mom! Mommy!" they could both hear Henry calling for them. "I'll go find him," Regina offered.

"Okay," Emma nodded. She tried to wipe her tears and feel normal again, but it was nearly dinner, after Henry had picked out furniture and clothes and talked Regina and Emma's ear off, before she actually settled down enough to enjoy the day.

"Do you need me to help with anything?" she asked as Regina started dinner.

Regina shook her head. "No, just relax," she offered. "Would you like a beer?"

"You have beer?" Emma questioned with some surprise. "You don't drink beer…"

"You drink beer," Regina stated the obvious.

"Regina, you confuse me," Emma shook her head in frustration. "You should hate me…"

Regina took her pan off of the direct heat. "And what the hell would that do, Emma?" she asked annoyedly. "We fight over custody…I'll get told that I have no rights, or you'll get told you have no rights. This could be easy, why not let this be easy?"

"Because, I would hate you if you did this shit to me," Emma countered harshly. "I hate myself," she finally realized. "I fucking hate myself," she crumbled inside now. That was the entire problem. She had let Killian use her, she had made her best friend complicit in her running and she had hurt the first person who had truly loved her unconditionally.

"I can't stop you from feeling that way," Regina shrugged honestly. "You just need to know that I don't hate you. You gave birth to the most important person in my life, Emma. I wish I could have been there, I wish I hadn't lost three years with my son, but I'm not going to squander it worrying about the past now. Henry knows we are his moms, Emma…"

"So, you don't think about us?" Emma cut Regina off.

Before Regina could answer, her doorbell rang. "Zelena and Robyn are stopping by for dinner. She wanted to meet my, our son," she said turning the heat down low and heading to the front door.

"Damn, this place looks wonderful!" Zelena smiled at her accomplishment. "Everything else come in?"

"Even the dishes," Regina kissed her sister's cheek. She bent down and looked at Robyn.

"She just finished feeding, so she's almost asleep," Zelena looked at her daughter's sleepy haze. Still, Regina picked up her niece. "Where is my nephew?"

"Resting in my bed…he had a long day," Regina laughed. "I'm making lasagna…"

"Hmm, you are holding a baby now, so I guess I'm making dinner," Zelena shrugged. She headed to the kitchen and was surprised to see Emma sitting at the breakfast bar. "Emma Swan, as I live and breathe."

"Hello, Zelena. You look well," Emma had recovered her equilibrium.

"You look thin," Zelena frowned. "Regina always likes a little meat on the bone," Zelena commented.

"Zelena!" Regina growled.

"I'm going to finish dinner before my baby starts crying," Zelena winked at her sister.

Regina looked at Emma and mouthed her apology. Emma shook her head, noting that it was nothing. She was used to Zelena and couldn't be offended by her. "Are you going to be tossing the salad tonight, Emma?" Zelena asked after stirring the meat mixture.

"Zelena!" Regina rolled her eyes skyward. This was going to be a long night.

By the time the meal was done, Henry was awoke and playing with his cousin on the floor, and Zelena was pouring drinks for Regina and Emma. "This is a very good red wine," Zelena said smelling the wine. She still couldn't drink, because she was pumping. "He's a very beautiful boy," Zelena said looking at her nephew. "You make beautiful babies together," she smiled. They were just loaded enough to not understand the implication. "Now, am I staying here or paying for another night in a hotel room?"

"Pick your room…just not one of the master suites," Regina felt a little lightheaded.

"I'll try my best…" Zelena laughed. "I'm going to clean up the kids and get them to wind down. You two finish the bottle," she filled their glasses again and took the kids upstairs to get them changed in their pajamas.

"You two are very good cooks," Emma slurred a bit. She still wasn't accustomed to expensive wines and that's all Regina drank. "I shouldn't drink anymore…" yet she continued to sip from her glass.

"We promised Henry Cars or Planes or one of those other movies," Regina blinked rapidly. "I don't think I'll make it through the first half…"

Emma looked at her clock. "Neither will he," Emma drained the rest of her wine. "Do you have popcorn?"

Regina thought about it a moment. "Is that something that I should have?" Regina started laughing uncontrollably. It was infectious and eventually Emma began laughing also. "Popcorn…next time I'll have popcorn."

"Yes, next time, have popcorn," Emma said playing with the rim of her glass. "This really is a beautiful home, Regina. You have exquisite taste…in architecture, furniture…"

"Women…" Regina threw in. "I should check on our kid," she stood and brushed against Emma's chair as she sought out her sister. She found Zelena helping Henry with his pajama shirt. "You don't play fair, Zelena."

"What have I done besides making a beautiful dinner and then getting our kids ready for bed?"

Regina lifted Henry from the ground and carried him into the den. "What are we watching, big guy?"

"Angry Birds," Henry said yawning. It was nearing eight at night and he was exhausted. He barely made it through the first few scenes before he was asleep against Regina's shoulder. She would have taken him back to his room, but his furniture hadn't been delivered yet. She carried him to the master suite down the hallway and found it already occupied by Zelena.

"I said any room but…"

"My baby is asleep in here, what am I supposed to do?" Zelena countered, fidgeting with the stroller that converted into a basinet. Regina was going to argue, but Henry was becoming increasingly heavy. She carried him upstairs to the empty guest room and got him settled in. He sprawled out on the queen-sized bed and she watched him for nearly thirty minutes before leaving him to sleep soundly. Making her way back downstairs, she found Emma loading the dishwasher.

"You didn't have to do that," Regina said, finally draining her glass of wine. It had been a prolonged day, yet she could go for another glass. "I have a pinot noir…would you like to try it?"

"I can't do another wine," Emma sighed wearily. "Henry sleep?"

"Yes."

"Split a beer? I don't want to lose my buzz…but…"

"You were never great at wine."

"It always got me in trouble with you. Split a beer with me," she tried again.

"Beers gets me in trouble," Regina went about opening a fresh bottle of wine. She filled her glass and took a sip. "The noir is amazing."

"I'm exhausted," Emma moaned.

"Zelena took your bedroom and Henry is the other bedroom."

"I can sleep with Henry," Emma brushed off the fact that now she had no bedroom of her own. "I was just going to grab a shower…"

"The tub in the master bedroom is to die for; you should try it."

"You're giving up your tub," Emma grabbed a beer from the fridge and popped the top.

"There is no oils, salts, or bubble bath…I didn't get that far in shopping, but hot water and a huge tub."

"Sounds good to me," Emma agreed.

"I'll go up and get your bag out of Henry's room. I want to check on him anyways," Regina headed upstairs. Henry was still asleep, but Regina worried that he would wake up in the night and look for his mom. Still, she grabbed Emma's duffle bag and carried it to the master bedroom. "I'm going to, uh, leave your bag in the bedroom." She could hear the water running and perhaps Emma didn't hear her. She tried again, but received no answer. She opened the door a tad bit and saw that the room was filled with steam.

"Emma, I left your bag in the bedroom," Regina's breath hitched in her throat. "I didn't…I didn't know you were already undressed," she apologized profusely.

"No, you're fine," Emma said, not one bit shy or ashamed that Regina was now seeing her nude. "So, soap and towels…"

She prayed that the alcohol was making her lose her words and not the tightness of Emma's stomach muscles or the thought of her legs wrapping around Regina's sex starved body. "They're …they're somewhere…"

Emma chuckled. "Somewhere, huh? I'll find everything I need…thanks."

Regina shook the fog from her head, "Yeah…you always do."

"That feels like a jab," Emma pouted, playfully.

"I wouldn't think about jabbing you, Emma," Regina recovered nicely. "Enjoy your bath," Regina escaped the bathroom with some of her sanity, but with her pulse racing. She made it back to her wineglass and drained its contents eagerly.

"You'll be sick in the morning," Zelena warned from behind her little sister.

"Maybe I should be sick," Regina sighed. "Being sick is a lot easier than doing something stupid."

"And what stupid thing are you about to do?" Zelena laughed. She had loved, even when they were young, when Regina got flustered. It was so rare and even more delightful when it was something that wasn't easily fixed. "You'd rather be physically sick and not enjoy the time with your son than to just screw your baby's mother for old time sake?"

Regina had her hand on the wine bottle, but stopped herself. "It's not that easy…"

"It sounds that damn easy," Zelena countered. "Are you ever going to enjoy life, Regina? I mean really, seriously, enjoy life? You have money, power, beautiful homes, a gorgeous son, and still…"

"I just want to be a good parent."

"And that means, what?"

"Go to bed, Zelena," Regina sighed in frustration. "I'm going to bed…"

"At nine-thirty?"

"It's been a long day," Regina managed a smile. "Why are you so damn difficult?"

"Would the world crash? If you slept with Emma?" Zelena pushed.

"Why would I ever find out?"

Zelena laughed throatily, "Why wouldn't you?" When Regina refused to answer, Zelena shook her head. "Goodnight, Regina. Sleep well…"

Regina made her way back upstairs and dressed for bed. It was nearly an hour before Emma emerged, and Regina was already under the covers. "It's very quiet in here," Emma noted.

"I didn't think to get a tv in here or any of the bedrooms. Zelena is a lot better decorator and organizer than me. How was the tub?"

"Amazing. It has some pretty well-placed jet-streams."

"Is that so?" Regina laughed. "I haven't used the tubs yet…I haven't tried anything yet. I spent two days pulling together this house, because you and Henry were coming. I exhausted myself," she became sober, just thinking about it. "I'm exhausted."

"You didn't have to do that for us, Regina."

Regina figured that they weren't meant to, but Emma's words stung, nevertheless. "You know what I've always hated the most about you, Emma?" It was a rhetorical question, but Regina noticed the shock on Emma's face with the mere question. "You always thought that this was easy for me. The working, the grinding, the pomp and bullshit; you always thought that it was easy for me. My father died and he left Zelena and I more money than we could ever spend in a hundred years; even if we bought every stupid thing that we could think of, we would still have money. We just couldn't touch it until we were thirty, I had already started my company, but I knew, the second I turned thirty…I could do whatever I wanted. But I met you in a bar and it changed my entire life. And I couldn't think of touching that money, because I had to prove myself to you every day…I had to be worthy for you, Emma. I worked myself to death…you never seemed to notice."

"I noticed…"

"No, Emma…you didn't. You complained that I was never home, I worked too much, there were too many galas and parties…and now, I didn't have to do this for you and Henry?"

"I didn't mean it that way, Regina."

"We don't have to talk about it, Emma. We're both exhausted. You should get some sleep," Regina suggested, making herself comfortable in her bed again. "Goodnight, Emma."

Emma had no rebuttal. "Goodnight, Regina." She said closing the bedroom door behind her. If she would have stayed a second longer, she would have heard Regina break down in tears.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Absolutely sorry for the delay. Life just seemed to catch up with me in the worse way. Anyways, please enjoy this chapter! I look forward to hearing comments and reviews! Enjoy!**

Chapter Nine

Regina was going to need to get used to this….

"What…what do you mean you aren't coming?" her voice cracked in an unfamiliar way. "I assumed you'd want to go today too."

"You and Henry just go," Emma shrugged, moving through the kitchen with her coffee cup in tow. It was Saturday morning and a few hours before it was time for the gala/carnival, and Emma just didn't have it in her to want to attend. It had been an entire day of walking on eggshells and now Emma was just emotionally drained. She was confused and hurt, because being around Regina and Henry this way felt right, but Emma wasn't deaf to the fact that she was the reason why they didn't exist this way. This, of course, made her eager to retreat, which was what she planned to do this entire Saturday. "I wanna rest some; flying with him isn't that simple," she fibbed a bit. Henry had been an angel on the plane, but Emma just needed some distance from Regina right now.

"Emma, I've never taken him anywhere alone," Regina stated blunted.

Emma stared at her ex-girlfriend for a moment and realized what she was hearing in Regina's voice. It was fear! Fear…something that Emma had never once heard from the older woman. "Regina," she smiled brightly and sincerely, "He loves you…he'll be fine," she assured Regina.

"But I won't be fine," Regina said firmly. "What if he gets hurt or upset and needs you?"

Emma placed her mug on the counter and furrowed her eyebrows. "He won't," she stated simply. "He has you…you will be all he needs."

Regina sighed, hating that she was going to have to beg Emma to come. She didn't feel comfortable and if Henry had one second of a bad time, she would personally blame herself. "Emma, please," she demurred.

Emma drained the remains of her coffee and sighed. "Regina, I can't be around you today," she leveled. "All yesterday, while you and Zelena enjoyed time with the kids and shopping, I was thinking about what you said the night before."

This was always the problem with them, in Emma's opinion. Regina could always level her emotionally and then act like nothing had transpired. Regina only need to get things off of her chest, but Emma desperately needed to talk things out and she never received that from Regina.

Regina rolled her eyes skyward. "What does two nights ago have to do with today, Emma?"

Emma huffed, picked up her coffee mug and refilled it. "I'm sitting this one out, Regina," she stated firmly. "Henry will be fine; he loves you and he's three, if he has a meltdown, he'll recover in like five minutes." She watched as a million words soared through Regina's mind, but was surprised when Regina only nodded imply.

"Fine," she headed out of the kitchen to find her sister. Emma didn't see Regina again until nearly an hour later. "Will you at least help me get him ready for today?" she asked, obviously annoyed.

Emma didn't argue. Since Zelena and Regina had shopped extensively for their children yesterday, Henry had more clothes than any little boy his age needed. She picked out a pair of blue jeans and a red shirt with a collar. "I don't like it," Henry announced shaking his head at the shirt. He was not accustomed to collared shirts, but Emma was sure that Regina would prefer him in as much.

"Come on, kid," Emma said easily. "You'll look awesome," she promised.

Henry ran to his new bed and did a head dive into the soft mattress. "No," he declared. "No ugly red shirt…"

"Regina will love you in it," Emma said nonchalantly.

This piqued the little boy's interest. He sat up now and looked at his mommy, while thinking about what Regina would like. "I'll wear my sneakers," he compromised with himself. He made his way back over to Emma and allowed her to put the red shirt on him. However, he sat in the floor and pulled on his own pair of new black sneakers.

"You look great kid," Emma complimented her son.

"Indeed," a voice from the bedroom door agreed. Emma looked behind her to see Regina in a pair of tailored jeans, if that were possible, and a buttoned up white shirt. "You look so handsome, honey," she cooed to Henry. The little boy blushed profusely, before he stood up and made his way over to Regina.

"Are you ready to go, Mom?" he asked smiling. He was excited because Regina had told him that there would be games and water balloons likely present today.

"I'm ready, sweetheart," Regina ended up picking up her son and heading downstairs. Zelena and Robyn were already downstairs, their bags beside them. They would be flying out right after the gala, and Zelena didn't want to drive all the way back to Columbia. "We're ready," Regina announced. She ignored the fact that Emma was behind her, still in her pajama bottoms and large pirate tee shirt.

Zelena raised a suspicious brow, but refused to question why Emma wasn't going with them. "Are you driving, or am I?" Zelena questioned her sister, pushing her daughter closer to the door.

"I wouldn't dare trust you with my car," Regina teased.

"Yet, you trust some people with it," her sister quipped back quickly. She smiled pleasantly and made eye contact with Emma. "It was nice seeing you again, Emma, really," she smiled. "Until next time," she winked as if she knew something that no one else did. "Say goodbye to Emma, Robyn." The little girl made a few noises, before she became fascinated with her foot once again and stuck it in her mouth.

"Goodbye, Zelena," Emma said softly. "Bye little Robyn," she waved almost sadly. Zelena exited, loading her daughter and the bags into the Volvo.

"You can still come, Emma," Regina offered. "You have time to change and get ready."

"Yeah, mom," Henry said bouncing down and moving toward the front door.

"I'll pass," Emma said, not able to quite make Regina's gaze. "You two have fun though," she offered limply.

Regina bit her tongue to not comment. "We'll be back in a few hours," she said before ushering her son to the car.

Emma watch the SUV exit the driveway, before she lost all illusions that she was going to be okay for the rest of the afternoon. The hot tears that streamed down her face wouldn't subside for nearly an hour and it was well after that before she realized why she would actually crying. She still loved Regina Mill so much and she would never be able to tell her or have her again. It was absolutely heartbreaking, even more because she had brought this fate on herself.

Emma made her way back to the guestroom, and crawled back into bed. Since all of Henry's furniture had been delivered the day before, Henry wouldn't be removed from his bedroom. He had his own "big boy bed," with matching cherry walnut dresser, desk and toy chest. He had chosen all of his own furniture and he luxuriated in his choices. He had barely wanted to leave his room to go to the gala, and Emma knew when he returned, he'd be right back in there for the rest of the visit.

She didn't remember falling asleep, but she was awakened by a tiny tap on the bedroom door. She turned over, picked up her phone from the nightstand and sighed. It was well after four in the afternoon and she had managed to do nothing, but cry most of the day.

"Emma," Regina's voice was soft and endearing. "Are you asleep?" she questioned from the opposite side of the door.

"I'm awake," Emma said sitting up. "Come in, Regina." She assumed that Henry was with his mom, but when Regina came in, she was alone. "Where is Henry?"

"He played out on the car-ride from the airport," she said standing just inside the door. "I brought him up and put him in his bed."

"Oh," Emma said suddenly feeling self-conscious. She hadn't showered, just cried most of the afternoon and now she felt gross and stupid. "Did he have a good time?" she decided to ask.

"I think he did," Regina smiled. "There were a lot of kids there; Crimson did a great job. The displays for the businesses were absolutely gorgeous and she raised a lot of money for those children's charities. Mal was absolutely proud and impressed; she beamed the entire time."

"I'm sure not as much as you did showing off Henry," Emma smiled.

"Yeah, maybe," Regina blushed slightly. "Ursula asked about you…I think she was looking forward to seeing you…"

Ursula had always been nice to Emma and now she felt like a complete ass.

"I told her you didn't feel well," Regina informed Emma. "She said next time you are in town, you must come to dinner."

"I forgot that Ursula would be there," Emma murmured.

"It's not easy to slide back into the way things were," Regina said knowingly. "So, do you have any idea what you'd like for dinner? I can order out or cook…"

"You don't have to…" Emma began, but stopped herself. "Pasta, maybe…"

"Pasta…that sounds good. I was considering steaks for your last night…"

"Yeah," Emma sighed, "this is our last night here."

"I'll be in Florida next weekend, hopefully."

"Hopefully?" Emma swung her legs to the side of the bed.

Regina leaned against the wall, somewhat deflated. "The roll out of my new product is coming up, and I'm going to need to be everywhere for the next couple of weeks. I can make daytrips sometimes, but Florida is mostly out of the way. You know I'll make time for Henry, but the next couple of weeks are going to be crushing."

"You already don't sleep enough, Regina," Emma frowned, purely worrying about Regina's health and comfort. "I know you'll make time for Henry, but Regina, you have to worry about yourself too. You are not as young as you used to be," she joked a little.

"Thirty-six is not old," Regina rolled her eyes, but smiled. After a moment, she turned to head back out of the room. "I'll make it work…now what kind of pasta do you want?"

"I'm going to jump in the shower really quick and then we'll decided together," Emma offered.

Regina nodded slowly. "Deal," she agreed.

Thirty minutes later, Emma entered the kitchen to Regina reading a cookbook. "I checked on Henry; he's still out."

"It was a long day for him," Regina said turning the book towards Emma.

Emma looked over the page and raised a brow. "Do we have the ingredients for that?" she asked.

"Yes, it's like five ingredients," Regina laughed. "I haven't had carbonara in ages. I used to love it."

"Carbonara it is," Emma smiled. She washed her hands again and began to look over the recipe. "So, I was thinking in the shower…"

"Sounds dangers," Regina quipped easily.

"Shut up," Emma laughed for the first real time that day. "What if…what if Henry and I stayed…here in DC for a few weeks. To make things easier on everyone…"

Regina's head shot up and she took a slow, lingering evaluation of Emma. "You would consider that?" she asked slowly.

"We don't want to make things difficult on one another, right? Wouldn't it be easier if you just had to make it home…here, instead of flying back and forth to Florida?"

"It would help tremendously," Regina rubbed her temple roughly. "But I don't want to interrupt your life…"

"Henry is my life," Emma chuckled awkwardly. "As long as I'm with him," she shrugged. She watched as Regina grabbed the ingredients from around the kitchen and the necessary equipment.

"Do you need to go back to Florida to pick up some things?"

"Well, I don't have much of a wardrobe here, but Henry is absolutely good. Actually, I'll call Ruby and have her ship my things up. I was staying with her anyways…"

"Do you mind me asking why you were staying with Ruby and her girlfriend?" Regina asked gently.

"Killian and I ended badly and it felt safe being with Ruby," Emma didn't hesitate.

"Is Killian not safe?" Regina questioned quickly.

"He's way more of an annoyance than an actual threat," Emma said dismissively. She was happy when Regina didn't press any further. They didn't have much more time to talk, because Henry bounced down the stairs and was ready to tell Emma all about his day. By the time they had eaten dinner and Henry had convinced them to watch two movies, Emma could barely keep her eyes open herself.

"You must be exhausted," Emma noted, watching Henry fight sleep against Regina on the couch. Regina never took her eyes off of their son, but shook her head.

"I'm fine. This is a lot more fun than looking over financial reports and glitch reports."

"I don't even want to know," Emma smiled. "I can take him up if you'd like."

Regina moved her arm that was now asleep. "Thank you." Henry wrapped his arms around Emma and was taken upstairs to his bed. When Emma returned, she was smiling. "He's super excited about not having to leave his room tomorrow," Emma revealed.

"I bet. He loves that room."

"He loves you," Emma said taking a seat on the other end of the couch from Regina. She loved the look of Regina when she was drowsy. In the past, she would have coaxed Regina to stretch out with her head in Emma's lap and Emma would stroke the brunette's temple until she fell asleep. Nothing like that would happen tonight, although sadly, Emma yearned to hold Regina now. Instead, she took a fortifying breath and settled in.

"Why didn't you come today, really?" Regina questioned out of the blue.

Emma thought about her answer carefully, but came to the same humbling conclusion she had early. "I just couldn't …I just couldn't be around you," she said as reasonably as her voice would allow that to sound.

"Yet you just agreed to live with me?" Regina asked skeptically. She knew Emma, far too well, and this was a cover for…that she wasn't exactly sure. "How about you just be honest with me, Emma," Regina stated wearily after a few moments.

"I think about how we used to be; every moment that I'm with you…I think about how things used to be and today I just couldn't take it. After what you said Thursday night …and then you just act like we have nothing to talk about…"

"What do we have to talk about Emma," Regina said tightly. "We can talk ourselves in circles and never get anywhere. It's over now," she said firmly. "I just want to move on. You and Henry are here, and you guys are staying a while; let's not get this off on the wrong foot."

"Talking about the past is the wrong foot?"

"Yes, Emma! Yes," Regina's face flushed. "Understand that it makes me sick to my stomach to think that I missed three years with my son. While I was brooding over missing you, Henry was out in the world and I knew nothing about him. I don't think you can even imagine how that feels, Emma." After a few seconds, she added, "I want to hate you, Emma."

"Then, why don't you?" Emma asked, almost breaking into tears.

Regina shrugged a little more coldly than she meant to be. "What would that accomplish?"

"Is that your pragmatic side, Regina? Everything has to accomplish something?" Emma questioned boldly.

"You want me to be angry for the hell of it?"

"No, I want you to be angry, because you loved me, Regina," Emma countered. Regina stared at her in what could only be described as disbelief.

"You make no sense Emma."

"How do you think I feel Regina? You've always made me feel like you'd be okay with or without me…it's always been so easy for you…love me, hate me…it never caused you a second of pause."

Regina could have put the woman out of her misery right there, but she took a long, deep breath and nodded pliantly. "Sure…you're right, Emma," she said with a hint of sarcasm peppering her words. Why should she bail Emma out of her flawed thinking? "My life was gravy after you left," she decided to pour it on thick. "I built my business and screwed a bunch of women whenever I wanted to…I never gave you a second thought," she said extra cruelly. She watched as Emma searched her eyes for the obvious lie in her words. "That's the thing with money and power," Regina said standing now. "You're able to get over people a lot easier," she shrugged as if she didn't give a shit.

"It wasn't that easy for you," Emma said quietly, almost frightfully.

"Then why do you pretend as if you didn't know it almost killed me, Emma?" Regina questioned seriously. She closed the space between them, almost unintentionally and Emma stood without much thought. They were too close now, the atmosphere around them charged, yet both women were already emotionally depleted. Neither of the women were willing to back down, and Regina realized that this could make for a long night and an awkward living situation.

"I still love you, Regina," Emma said with no hesitation.

It broke the silence and the stalemate, and Regina felt as if her heart dropped to her stomach. "Then why…"

"Because people make mistakes, Regina," Emma said softly. She was amazed that she hadn't been brushed off, and now she was a lot less nervous.

Regina was quiet for too long; thinking for entirely too long. "I don't know what you want me to say."

Emma shrugged. "You just have to understand that I still love you," Emma replied honestly.

"You know I can't wrap my mind around this, Emma."

And Emma really did understand that Regina couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that she still loved her. Emma had executed the most meaningful blow to Regina's heart of anyone, and now it was impossible to undo that damage in a meaningful way. At least, Emma decided, she was telling Regina the truth. She couldn't lay under the same roof with Regina Mills and not let her know the truth.

"What do you want to accomplish from this, Emma?" Regina questioned finally.

"I just want you to know, Regina," Emma answered quickly. The room, for some reason, began to feel smaller and now she had the absolute need to flee.

Regina, watching Emma intently, noticed the signs of Emma's need to get away. Regina gave her the out she needed. "We're both exhausted," she offered slowly. "We both should probably get some sleep," she decided. "We can talk about this tomorrow?"

Emma's eyes searched Regina's and settled on the truce being offered. "Goodnight, Regina," she said feeling somewhat freed. They would talk about this; figure it out together, because Regina could never leave something like this unresolved; or at least, so Emma thought.

* * *

Emma made her way downstairs the next morning to the sound of Kathryn's voice in the kitchen. She knew that sound well; it had plagued her years earlier when she and Regina were together. Kathryn had a way of wedging herself between Regina and Emma through work situations, and Emma feared that she would do the same in Regina and Henry's relationship.

"I can't," Regina said shifting on the barstool. When Emma entered the kitchen, she noticed Regina sipping her coffee, shaking her head negatively. "I can't fit that into the schedule," she said again firmly. "It'll have to be pushed out until next week."

"Something else will have to be pushed out," Kathryn corrected her friend, her eyes still glued on her phone screen.

"The launch is the primary focus for the next two weeks, Kathryn. I've even made arrangements for Henry to be here…so I'm not travelling to Canada…"

"You want an 'in' to that market," Kathryn finally looked up, noticed Emma and rolled her eyes unintentionally. "This is the "in,", but the controller for Toronto is only taking open bids this week, Regina. And he requested a presentation from you, personally." Regina pushed her coffee cup away and sighed. "Let me set it up for Wednesday and Thursday…you'll be home by Friday…"

"Yeah, but I'll never finish everything by Friday," Regina reasoned. The fact that Emma was watching and listening was not lost on her, and she knew that this was the first Easter she could spend with Henry. She wasn't willing to give that up and had planned to spend the entire week at home, getting ready for the launch and bonding with her son before the holidays. "Make the presentation for Tuesday afternoon, I'll be back by Tuesday night," she rationalized.

"That's a tight window, Regina," Kathryn put her attention back to her phone. "But I'll make it happen. "We'll go up Monday night…"

"Tuesday morning and then back Tuesday night," Regina slid from the barstool and went over to the sink. She turned to Emma, who had made herself a cup of coffee and was quietly drinking it in the corner now. "Would you like some breakfast, Emma?"

Emma watched as the amount of disgust on Kathryn's face increased, but quickly disappeared. Before she was able to answer, Kathryn sighed.

"I'll set everything up," she interrupted before Emma could answer the breakfast question. "I have to go; I'll call you with all the details." She gathered her things and made her exit quickly. Regina didn't seem to be paying any attention and Emma shuttered as she heard Kathryn's car exited the driveway.

"Henry isn't awake yet," Regina frowned, looking at the clock. It was only six-thirty, but she wanted to spend as much time with her son as possible before the work grind of the week.

"Are your weeks always that unpredictable?" Emma questioned, referring to the impromptu meeting in Canada early in the week.

"I've been trying to get into some major Canadian markets for a while," Regina explained calmly. "The week before Easter is just the worst possible time; especially since the product launch is the week after that." Regina thought about it a moment. "Shit," she thought for a second longer. "They'll want the new product…and all my presentations are scoped for the previous version. Dammit…"

"You have to change everything?" Emma understand all too well.

"It shouldn't take long, but I was not expecting to…"

"I understand," Emma managed to smile. "Why don't you work on it some now and when Henry wakes up, I'll get him breakfast. We can go somewhere for lunch?"

Regina looked back at the clock over her shoulder. "I'll just need a couple of hours," Regina promised and disappeared into her office for the next five hours. When she reemerged, Henry and Emma were in the living room, flipping television channels.

"Mom!" Henry said, jumping up on the couch.

"Henry, don't jump on the couch," Emma said sharply. She didn't want her son ruining Regina's beautiful home.

Regina came over and lifted her son into her arms. "Good morning," she said kissing his cheeks. They were sticky and Regina laughed against his cheeks. "What did you have for breakfast?"

"Eggos!" he shouted happily. "Mom, am I gonna be here forever?" he asked bluntly.

Regina looked passed her son to Emma. "Not forever, but for longer."

"I like it here," he admitted happily. "We have fun," he looked back at Emma. "And Mommy is happy."

Emma flushed with embarrassment with her son's words. She was astounded at how intuitive the little boy was to her moods and emotions. She knew she was never really happy with Killian, but she had no idea that Henry had actually noticed or picked up on that fact.

"What are we gonna do today?" Henry wrapped his little arms around Regina's neck.

"What do you wanna do, sweetheart?" Regina asked, looking at Emma as she asked.

"Can we swim?" he asked hopefully. The one thing he didn't love about this place was that he didn't get to be near the water as much as usual.

"We can swim today," Regina agreed softly. She let Henry down and he sprinted back up the stairs.

"Slow down!" both Regina and Emma said in unison. They both ended up smiling at their shared enthusiasm for protecting their little boy.

"So, where are we going swimming?" Emma questioned. She assumed that Regina would want to go closer to the coast, but she was surprised when Regina revealed where she planned to go. "Really…are you sure?" she cocked a brow.

"It won't be how you think," Regina promised smiling. "I promise…"

* * *

"Trust me, Crimson is an Olympic level swimmer; she won't let anything happen to him," Mal promised, watching Emma's eyes following Henry and Crimson around the pool at the country club.

"I'm not worried," she tried to smile at Mal, but failed. "He's just having a really good time…" she never really knew if Mal liked her, unlike Ursula, who had been nothing but nice to her. "He loves the water, and he seems taken with Crimson."

Regina and Ursula returned from the bar with four glasses of wine. Mal frowned, but took the glass of red wine from her wife. "They didn't have whiskey …"

"Don't even finish that sentence," Ursula warned quickly, but her admonishment only made Mal smile tenderly. "We are not going to drink hard liquor this early in the day…"

"It's nearly three in the afternoon," Mal reminded Ursula. "Is Sierra still golfing?"

"Absolutely. She is playing a-round with Senator Corkin's son, Cameron," Ursula raised a suspicious brow. "You know how competitive she is…"

"She'll win," Mal smiled confidently.

"I didn't know you enjoyed golf, Mal," Regina broke in, surprised that her friend even followed golf.

"I hate golf, but I love the things at which my daughters excel," Mal winked playfully.

"It's how you get spoiled kids," Ursula sighed. She turned her attention to Emma and grinned brightly. "How have you been, Emma?" she asked, genuinely wanting to know. "Did you enjoy Florida?

Emma settled in with her glass of wine, but shrugged. "It's very hot…" was all she could think to say.

"I grew up in Miami Beach," Ursula revealed. "My mother was a lounge singer down there…beautiful voice…"

"Is that where you learned to sing?" Emma questioned, breaking in. She apologized, but she just didn't know a lot about either Mal or Ursula's past. She settled back on the lounge chair and listened as Ursula explained that her mother was once a famous jazz singer before she passed away. She had grown up on the club circuit and by the time she was twelve, knew she wanted to do nothing but sing. Her father, a prominent businessman, had hated the singing for both his wife and daughter, but had never interfered. It hadn't surprised him when Ursula had cut three successful albums by the time she was twenty-five; it did surprise him when she had given up her career to get married at that tender age. By the time she had her two daughters, her marriage had dissolved and most of her career had done the same. This, of course, hadn't stopped Ursula, because she loved music and wanted to stay in the business, which was why she started her own independent label.

"Aunt Regina!" Crimson called from the pool. "Can he swim?" she questioned, although Henry was floating along on a pool toy. They were in the shallow part of the pool, but Crimson was keeping a careful and watchful eye on the little boy.

"No…he can't," Regina called back. Crimson nodded, and floated beside the pool toy, herself. "We should get him lessons, and soon," Regina said looking at Emma.

"They do lessons here," Mal offered helpfully.

"Here at the club?" Regina questioned, immediately interested.

"We could sponsor your membership," Mal offered.

"You are getting a country club membership?" Emma questioned. She was definitely not country club material, but Regina was, and Emma figured that she was transform Henry into that type of person. But what exactly was that type of person? She had never thought Mal or even Ursula would be that type of person, yet, here they were, enjoying the sun at the country club.

"It's very enjoyable," Ursula told Emma. "Private pools, banquet halls, golf courses, tennis, basketball courts….and this place is very diverse."

"It's something to think about," Regina watched as Crimson helped Henry out of the pool. The little boy ran over to his moms.

"I'm hungry," he announced falling into Emma's arms.

"I can take him to get something," Crimson offered. She was exhausted from the previous day and happy to be able to relax some. She wrapped a towel around her wet waist and looked over at one of the little restaurants on the grounds. She looked down at Henry, "We could get chicken tenders," she suggested to the little boy.

"I want tenders!" Henry said quickly.

"Just put everything on our tab," Mal said, allowing the kids to go to the restaurant. She watched Regina and Emma as their eyes followed the kids. "They'll be fine," she laughed. "Crimson is very responsible."

"I don't doubt it…" Regina said, still watching the two head inside. "She did an amazing job yesterday…"

"It was a very successful event yesterday," Ursula agreed. "We missed seeing you," she told Emma. "But I can understand…it's exhausting travelling from Florida to anywhere," she laughed. "I've never been much for the heat."

"Me either, really," Emma laughed genuinely. "It takes all the energy out of you…"

"Lord yes…I don't know how I am going to make it in New Orleans in a few weeks," Ursula spilled. She felt her wife stiffen at the top end of the lounge chair and knew that she had stepped on a landmine. Ursula had agreed to help some of her newer artist and headline a few shows for them during the late spring through early summer. The girls' school year was winding down and it would be no more than six weeks, but Mal was obviously already missing her. "It's only six weeks," Ursula said, looking at her wife.

"Anyone else want another drink?" Mal dismissed the comment. Regina nodded, but stood when Mal stood and they headed back to the outside bar together.

"You didn't tell me Ursula was touring…"

"You didn't tell me Emma had moved in," Mal countered and deflected at the same time. Regina closed her eyes, ready for the judgement that she was sure would followed. Yet, she was pleasantly surprised when Mal went in the opposite direction. "Are you two back together?"

"I don't know how to answer that," Regina sighed honestly. "She says she still loves me…" she expected some type of egregious reaction, but Mal simply said, "I don't doubt it." Mal ordered a whisky this time, but Regina stuck with the pinot noir she had been drinking. She got a beer for Emma, and returned to the younger woman, who was laughing at something Ursula was saying.

It was later, once they had gotten back home after spending the day with Mal, Ursula and their daughters, that Regina questioned. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"It's a lot different than what I thought a country club was," Emma said laughing. "It wasn't stuffy or snooty at all…"

"I can swim there!" Henry interjected. "Crinson said I could!"

"Sure you can," Regina laughed at the pronouncement of Crimson's name. "Now, what would you like for dinner?"

"I not hungry," Henry explained. He had been "grazing" all day; chicken tenders, guacamole, chips and salsa. Crimson and later Sierra had taken Henry under their wing and entertained the boy the entire six hours that they were at the club.

"Did you have fun, kid?" Emma picked her son up.

"Yeah!" he said happily.

"Good," Emma kissed his cheeks playfully. "Maybe you should get a membership there…"

"That could be arranged," Regina said easily; although she knew that she would barely get to use it. Emma and Henry could enjoy it while they were with her, though. "If you'd like that, Emma." Even though they had a pool in the community where Regina lived, it was up to Emma whether to use it or not.

"It could be nice…it was nice that we were all together," she said looking at Regina tentatively.

"So, you just want us all to be together?" Regina asked slowly. When Emma nodded, Regina's mouth broke into a tiny smile. "I can make that happen," she laughed as Henry nodded his head as if he knew exactly what was happening.

Over the next week, Regina was anal about keeping her word of she, Henry and Emma being together. Although she left Tuesday for the entire day; every day besides that day, she managed to have dinner and evening time with Henry and Emma. On the weekend, which happened to be Easter, Regina went all out. She prepared a meal and by letting Crimson spend a few hours with Henry, Emma and Regina were able to slip away and prepare his first real Easter basket. Emma couldn't have imagined how much she was going to enjoy her time with her son and Regina. Although she had told Ruby that she would eventually return to Florida, she wasn't so sure after spending the week with THIS Regina.

"Maybe I should get a place here in DC," she said the night of Easter, after Henry had been put to bed. "If that's okay with you," Emma said quickly when Regina seemed put off by the idea.

"You can stay here, Emma," Regina said softly.

"I can't put that type of pressure on you," Emma shook her head. "You make such an effort if Henry and I are here all the time. I know it's exhausting you…" she said seriously. "But if I had a place nearby and Henry got used to the idea of staying with me some nights and you on other nights…you would be somewhat unburdened…"

Regina thought about it for a moment. "That's true," she agreed. She was exhausted; knowing that Henry and Emma were in her home, pushed her to come home every night by five, which sounded easy, but seriously wasn't when you were Regina Mills. It caused her to show up early, work through lunch and bring a lot of work home that wasn't finished until after Henry had went to bed. "I can help you find a place…"

"Ursula agreed to help before she leaves for New Orleans…"

"Oh…well good," Regina tried to offer a smile.

"But there is an apartment; about five miles away…it looks nice online…"

Regina still wasn't comfortable with the fact that Emma wanted to move out, but she nodded. "I'll go look at it with you." She noticed Emma brighten immediately and felt that she had said the right thing.

"Thanks!" she bubbled over with happiness. "You'll probably veto it, but I think it'll be perfect for Henry and me."

"I trust your opinion, Emma," Regina assured her.

"Really?" Emma wanted to be sure.

"Sure," Regina smiled.

"Even after everything, Regina?"

Regina shifted on the couch as she thought about this seriously. "I guess with our son…not exactly with my heart and feelings." She saw that this was a crushing blow to Emma, and tried to clarify. "I just don't think there can be anything with us anymore," she admitted slowly and honestly. "But I still really feel like we are friends, which I know is strange."

"It's not strange," Emma nodded. "It's to be expected; I broke your trust. That's something I'll have to live with," she felt the full weight of reality weighting down on her. She had to change the subject quickly, or she would cry. "I would like to look for a job too…"

"Am I not providing enough for child support?" Regina seemed genuinely worried.

"It's definitely not that! You've been more than generous, Regina. I'd just like to work….it's something I got away from with Killian, but it's important to me."

"We'll look into a school for Henry then," Regina was obviously relieved that she was being fair with her child support payment. She would have doubled them if need-be, but she realized that this was about Emma's independence. "I have a friend who owns a security firm…I could forward your resume."

"Thanks…I may ask you to, one day," Emma didn't nail anything down, because she wanted to do this on her own right now. "How is work going for you?"

"Exhausting…"

"Well, you should get some rest," Emma laughed. "A couple of weeks of this schedule and your age will catch up to you…" Emma caught the couch pillow that Regina threw at her. Still, Regina didn't argue about going to bed; she was obviously exhausted and it was beginning to wear on her.

"I'm going to ignore the age joke," Regina quirked an eyebrow, "and just say good night, Ms. Swan." She made her way toward the hallway and stopped. "I'm happy you are in Maryland, Emma…" she said sincerely.

"I'm happy to be here too, Regina." And for the first time in a very long time, Emma felt truly happy.

* * *

Pensacola, Florida

Dorothy wasn't exactly troubled by Killian sitting at the back of her bar, her entire shift; it only slightly annoyed her. She couldn't bar people from the establishment, but she had to admit that she hated the unsavory characters that Killian had brought in with him. There were several trips to the bathroom, together, and raucous behavior, but at the end of the night/early morning, they paid their tab and left. Dorothy and one of her bartenders, did the final checks for the night, cleaned up the bar area thoroughly, and finally closed up. It was nearly four in the morning, and Dorothy sent the man out ahead of herself. He was already out of the parking lot when Dorothy finally made her way towards her car.

"Where is she?" she heard a voice ask in the darkness. Dorothy didn't need to turn, she knew Killian's Jones voice and was automatically annoyed.

"Go home, Killian…" she began, but a sharp pain through her lower neck and back stopped her words. The young woman folded to the hot asphalt and immediately grabbed her head, as she watched her bag scatter away from her.

"You wouldn't make this easy, bitch," Killian said roughly. He kicked her bag further way from Dorothy; knowing her, she would have a gun in that bag, and bent down to look at Dorothy more firmly. He allowed the heavy pipe that he was holding to hit the asphalt; the sound blast through Dorothy's now throbbing skull, yet he only watched her for a few seconds. "You aren't so tough," he said standing and kicking her harshly in the ribs. Still, he wasn't exactly interested in beating the woman; instead he wanted information.

"Where is Emma?" he asked again, this time looking down on Dorothy, who was laying on her back, breathing harshly.

Dorothy's head was swimming entirely too much to try and move or even answer this asshole. She heard and saw, although blurry, Killian step over her body and went over to riffle through her bag. As he suspected, she did have a gun, which he picked up happily. "I realize we don't have long," Killian said making sure the safety was now off. He pointed the gun at Dorothy, "I will shoot you, bitch," he threatened seriously. "Where the fuck is Emma?"

Dorothy was no fool. Her life was in serious danger. Not because Killian was exactly someone capable of murder, but because his movement and talk was addled. He was sweaty, jumpy and all-over the place, as he stuck the gun in Dorothy's face, then retreated and then came back over her. "Where is she!" he screamed again.

"She moved out!" Dorothy released carefully, through gritted teeth. She knew it wouldn't be enough, but she had enough strength now to sit up, and did so slowly.

"To where! To where!" Killian spat, his sweaty face now close to hers once again. He put the gun on Dorothy's shoulder blade and waited for an answer.

"I don't know," Dorothy shrugged.

"That bitch girlfriend tells you everything!" Killian yelled at the side of Dorothy's face. He placed the gun at the side of Dorothy's temple and felt pleasure as she trembled, obviously scared for her life right now. "Is she with that bitch, Gina. The other-mother," he laughed as if this were an oxymoron, "to that little brat?" Dorothy was uncomfortable with how terrified she was for her life right now. She couldn't speak, but managed to only nod. "So, she's in DC…or wherever that rich bitch is…" he seemed satisfied. He moved the gun away Dorothy, went back over to her bag. He tucked the gun into the front of his pants, picked up Dorothy's cell phone, smashed it to the ground, and then took her keys in his hand. "I need your car," he said, actually evenly.

Killian came back over, pulled out the gun from the waistband of his pants and looked down at Dorothy. "This is going to hurt…" he said somewhat sympathetically. Before Dorothy had time to respond, Killian used the blunt end of the gun to strike Dorothy roughly on the side of the head. It was just enough for the lights to go out in the woman and she lay helpless in the parking lot as Killian sped off in her car.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: All I'll say is ENJOY and of course, I love comments and reviews!**

Chapter Ten

"The system is porous," the lead cop explained gently. He didn't want to be here, not because he didn't want to be helpful, but he knew how this story went more often than not. Actually, this young woman was actually lucky; if you could call someone, who was struck in the head by some young punk and subsequently stolen from, lucky. She was lucky because she had a girlfriend; a girlfriend who couldn't sleep until she was home safely, and when the clocked rolled from four to five, and then five to six, she went out in search for her lover. "Ms. Lucas…"

"Call me, Ruby," Ruby sighed, her eyes swollen from crying. She watched as a nurse took Dorothy's vitals again and seemed satisfied.

"You likely saved her life," the cop explained what the doctor had already done a few hours earlier. "Hits like that on the head cause brain bleeds, and from my understanding..."

"Porous how?" when the cop didn't speak, Ruby turned to face him finally. "How is the system porous?"

He took a deep breath. "I won't lie…people…men in particular, have a way of sliding through the cracks on things like this. Even though he took the car, he'll have that chopped and sold in no time and there are no camera systems back there; even though the bar owner is torn up about this…he said they served together in Iraq?"

"Two tours," Ruby only mumbled. Dorothy's eyes were opening for the first time in hours and Ruby wanted to be by her side.

"Go, be with your friend, Ruby," he couldn't bring himself to call the two girlfriends, but he saw the compassion and worry in the woman's eyes when she looked inside the room at her ailing "friend."

Ruby was going to comment, but Dorothy was waking up. "Fine," she mumbled, entering the hospital room. "Baby," she said softly.

Dorothy let out a small breath. "What …what happened?" she struggled to focus for a minute, before her eyes settled on Ruby. "I barely remember closing up …" when the cop entered the room, Dorothy focused on him for a moment. She looked back to Ruby for clarification.

"I'm Officer Lee," he introduced himself. "Do you remember anything after you locked up last night, Ms. Gale?"

"I can barely remember even having to close up last night," Dorothy said trying to sit up now.

"That's not surprising, you have a pretty severe concussion," the officer nodded.

"Did I have a car accident or…"

"So, you don't remember anything really from last night?" Lee realized sadly.

Dorothy looked at Ruby and saw the troublesome looked etched on her face. "Not a car accident?"

"You should get some rest, Ms. Gale," he pulled out his card and handed it to Ruby. "I'll be in touch with any news and in a couple of days I'd like to speak with you again, Ms. Gale, if you feel better."

"Sure," Dorothy agreed. It wasn't until the cop had left that she began to question Ruby about what was going on.

"They are going to keep you today and overnight, to see how your concussion is going…"

"So, I was carjacked?" Dorothy tried to remember, but it made her head spin and throb. "And why do I need to stay overnight? Ruby, with my insurance, we can't afford a hospital stay…"

Ruby kissed Dorothy's forehead and then her lips. "Don't you worry about that. We just have to get you well," Ruby said lovingly.

"Did you find me?" Dorothy asked after a minute.

"You weren't home by six…I can't sleep without you," Ruby smiled at her. "Get some rest…I have to run a few errands…"

"Ruby…don't leave me," Dorothy said taking her girlfriend's hand. She knew Ruby all too well and Ruby's instincts were to hunt down her car and probably try to kill the bastard that did this to her girlfriend. Dorothy couldn't remember what had happened, but she definitely didn't want Ruby putting herself in danger.

"I need a couple of hours, Kansas," Ruby whispered. "You just sleep and when you wake up, I'll be here…I swear, baby."

Dorothy resigned to lie back in the hospital bed. "I can't stop you…not feeling like this…"

Ruby broke their hands apart. "If it were me in the bed, would you do any less than what I'm about to do?"

Dorothy tried her hand at smiling, but failed and resigned to just closing her eyes. "When I wake up, I'll expect you here."

"I love you, Kansas," Ruby said seriously, which was why Dorothy knew what Ruby was going after the bastard.

* * *

The system is porous, which was why Killian had easily made it into Alabama in a stolen car with no trouble. A bit after noon, he pulled down to his brother's garage, and exited the car. He entered the garage, looked around at where he grew up and tried to hold back the flood of shame that entered his body. He hated living in Alabama, he hated his family, and he absolutely detested his brother, Liam. He turned to go back outside, when a heavy fist connected squarely with the side of his face.

"I see you still drop like a bag of potatoes, you bitch," Liam sputtered, wringing out his wrist. He stood over Killian and as soon as he tried to scramble to his feet, Liam found his fist slamming into his brother's chest again. "I should kill you…"

"Then you won't get that car out there," he coughed, feeling like he was dying.

Liam slammed his massive fist into Killian's face one last time before backing off. "2015 Chevy Cruze… I'll chop it, get five thousand, maybe…"

"Then I'll get two…" Killian said hopefully.

"You'll get to leave here with some of your teeth," Liam corrected him. "That little stunt you pulled when you left with that cunt and her kid…you lucky I don't kill you now, boy."

Killian curled to the side of the room, getting enough space to sit up now. "You took my fucking hand! Wasn't that enough!" He had lied to Emma, told her that he had lost his hand drunk at the shipyard one afternoon; but in reality, his brother had caught up to him down in Florida. He had stolen nearly five thousand dollars and a car from Liam when he and Emma left Alabama and even though Killian tried to live on the straight and narrow, it never seemed to work. When Liam had showed up at his workplace and it resulted with him losing a hand, Killian knew his fate was sealed. Still, bygones had to be bygones, because Killian needed to get rid of a car and he needed more cash. He had only the two hundred from Dorothy's purse, a gun, and enough crystal to last him to his journey to DC.

"I need it dammit," Killian said tightly. "You get car, and you'll never see me again…"

Liam looked out at the car again and sucked his teeth. "I could just kill you and I'd never see you again…" Killian leaned against a taken apart truck and coughed, his chest on fire. He shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small bag of brown crushed up substance. "What the fuck is that boy?" Liam barked.

"This…" Killian laughed. "This is the deal-maker, brother…" he shook the little baggie playfully.

Liam snarled, but seemed to settle a little. He hated his brother, but he loved a taste of drugs more than anything. About two hours later and a thorough meth high, Liam agreed to two thousand dollars for the car and the gun, and dropping his bastard brother off at the bus station. With only the clothes on his back, his pockets full of cash and meth, Killian was heading out of the South by Greyhound, determined to get back what was his; Emma Swan.

* * *

One Week Later

"Henry," Regina said tightly. The little boy sat down at the dinner table immediately. After nearly two months together daily, Henry knew what that glint meant in his mother's voice. He had been testing her and Emma all day, mainly because Regina had just turned from a three-day trip to Canada, again, and he had his missed his mother dearly. Still, he was only three and didn't know how to express as much, besides acting out. After nearly two hours of being loud, interrupting his mothers' talking and throwing one pretty tough tantrum, Regina had finally reached her wits-end. "Henry what is going on with you?" Regina questioned, not angrily, but truly concerned. His behavior was never this off-course.

"He missed you," Emma said softly, pushing a tomato from her salad around. She didn't add that she had missed Regina those three short days too.

"I understand that," Regina said levelly, looking at her son. It was only Wednesday and she would have to work the rest of the week, but an idea popped into her head. "Why don't we all go to the bay this weekend? Spend a couple of days there? It's beautiful in early May…"

"I was hoping to get our apartment pulled together this weekend," Emma announced, surprised about how happy her voice sounded with this news.

Regina's eyes brightened some, realizing how happy Emma was to break her this news. "So, you are taking the apartment…?"

"Global Health called me this morning…I got the job," Emma smiled brightly and had to admit that her heart fluttered when Regina shared that smile with her. "It's not a fancy job or anything," she said quickly… mostly data entry or filing, but it's full-time with benefits and they have daycare downstairs for Henry until he starts school next year…"

"I not going to school," Henry broke in, upset that the attention was off of him again. He picked up a piece of lettuce from his plate and placed it on the other side of the plate. Regina closed her eyes to his newest test, but turned back to Emma smiling.

"No…that's great, Emma!" she gushed a bit. "You wanted that job the most…"

"Mainly because eventually I can transfer into the programming division, hopefully," Emma was eating now with some ease. She had been nervous since hearing this morning, because she, Regina and Henry were getting along much better than she could have ever hoped for. She had lived in Regina's home for nearly a month and they had settled into somewhat of a rhythm. Emma had begun looking for jobs first, and when she had some solid leads, she had focused on finding an apartment close enough to Regina that she wouldn't be burden with too much travel to see her son. A reasonably affordable apartment had opened up just ten blocks away from Regina's community and Emma had hopped on the opportunity to put a deposit down on the place. Two bedrooms, two baths, for under sixteen hundred in this area was a real steal.

"So, you want to move this weekend?" Regina didn't realize how a sadness would flow through her at the mention of those words. She had gotten accustomed to Emma and Henry being home when she got there, and now that wouldn't be the case. She would be at home, alone, in this very big house most nights.

"I get the keys tomorrow…oh, is it at all possible that you could be home with Henry around two tomorrow? I have to fill out the paperwork in HR for my new job."

"Of course," Regina agreed. "I don't have anything on my calendar for the afternoon. I'll leave a little after lunch."

It was later, after Henry had finished his dinner and was now watching television in the den, that Emma made sure that everything that was happening was okay with Regina. Regina always had a glass of wine after dinner, mainly because she didn't enjoy drinking in front of her son, and now she was finishing up the evening dishes.

"Are you sure you are okay with this, Regina?" Emma asked cautiously, coming back into the kitchen. She went to stand beside Regina and helped load the dishwasher.

"About tomorrow?" Regina shrugged. "It shouldn't be a problem…"

"I mean everything, Regina. Henry and I moving, me going back to work, Henry going to daycare…"

Regina looked thoughtfully at Emma. The transformation in Emma Swan was truly astounding. In just a few weeks, she had become confident and once-again driven. She was enjoying being back in the Maryland/DC area, and it showed. She wanted to work, and she and Henry were adjusting beautifully to their surroundings and the people in the area. "Of course, I'm fine with it, Emma. I'm so impressed with you," Regina stated honestly. That caught Emma by surprised and Regina saw her eyes flash that perfect shade of green that once drove her crazy. Regina cleared her throat. "I mean, not everyone responses to change as well as you," she said, trying to sound less gushing. "It's a great example for Henry to witness."

Emma blushed. "Thank you, Regina."

"I'm not doing anything," Regina said finally closing the dishwasher and starting the cycle.

"That's not true, Regina," Emma corrected her. "Your support means everything to me. I mean, it has been a long time since I've felt like I can do…anything…"

"Mom!" Henry said running into the kitchen, "Can I have a cookie," he moved over to Regina, because she was the easier target.

"You had dessert, honey," she reminded him for the bowl of Jello he had to have after dinner.

"Mom…" he groaned.

"One cookie…" Regina said, pulling down the cookie jar and letting Henry pick out his one treat.

"Thanks!" he bounced back out of the room with his peanut butter cookie.

"It's almost bath time, kid!" Emma reminded him.

"No mom! No bath…"

"Oh, definitely bath!" Emma countered. She looked at Regina, shook her head playfully and decided to wrangle their kid into a bath.

Regina took over after his bath, putting Henry to bed for the first night in four days. "Where'd you go, mommy?" Henry questioned, his little eyes fluttering close. He always called her "mommy" during bedtime, when she was tucking him into bed.

"Canada," she explained. It was the second trip in as many weeks, but she had closed the deal, and even more, the rollout of her new product had gone extremely well.

"Don't go back there," Henry said easily. "I miss you."

"I'll see what I can do, baby," she kissed both his cheeks and watched as he fell into a peaceful slumber. She watched him for another thirty minutes, before going to her room, showering and falling into the center of her bed. It was already ten-thirty and she needed to go to the office early, so she could be home by noon. Still, when a soft tap on her bedroom door happened, she encouraged Emma to come in.

"Is it okay if I take the Volvo tomorrow?" Although Emma had been driving the Volvo since she and Henry arrived and she knew that Regina wouldn't mind, Emma wanted to talk to Regina. She wanted to talk to Regina all the time, but after three days of being apart, she felt desperate to be in Regina's orbit.

Regina sat up, which made the silk, solid nightie she wore, ride to her upper thigh. "Of course, Emma," she laughed. She fell back to the mattress and closed her eyes. "Is that all you wanted to ask?"

Emma replied weakly, "yeah…"

Regina smiled and laughed. "He said he missed me…before he went to sleep…"

"We miss you when you aren't here, Regina…" Emma said as if it should be obvious.

"I know…I just didn't know how quickly we would become major part of each other's lives," she admitted. "That's why I'm glad your apartment will be so close. Sometime, when it's not my night, will it be okay if I stop by?" she sat up again.

"Of course!" Emma said finally coming fully into the room. She stopped just before Regina's bed.

"You can sit Emma. I'm too tired to be a proper host and sit up," Regina joked. After a moment, Emma sat and Regina sighed. "You could have the Volvo, you know. I don't think I've driven it more than twice…"

"You were always a Mercedes, woman," Emma added. She thought it over, but declined politely. "I plan to look for my own car…"

"Well, keep the Volvo until then," Regina offered. She groaned. "I can't ever remember being this tired in my life and I studied for all my finals in three days straight… of course, I wasn't an old woman then," she finally sat up and looked at Emma. She had smiled at the joke, but looked worried. "Don't say it, Emma…"

"You work too hard and too long," Emma said anyways.

"Believe it or not, I've slowed a great bit."

"I do believe it, which makes me even more worried," Emma looked down and stroked Regina's bedspread. Regina's hand found hers and held it still.

"I don't want you worrying about me, Emma," she said firmly.

"Yet, you can worry about me?"

"It's different…it's automatic," she smiled grimly.

"You think my worry isn't automatic?" Emma countered.

"I'm going to hold off on travelling for a while…until it's absolutely necessary…which it will be in about a month or so. I have contracts to sign in Canada, but I'd like to bundle some other things into that trip. But that will make it a longer trip…I'd like you to get settled into your new job before I'm gone that long."

"While I'm settling into my new job…will you learn to rest?" Emma teased.

Regina kicked Emma playfully. "I'll see what I can do…"

* * *

It took Emma nearly a week and a half to truly get settled into her new apartment, but the feeling of pride couldn't be wiped from her face. "Is Dorothy doing any better?" she questioned. She was on the phone with Ruby for the first time this week. She had been hard to pin down with Dorothy still being so sick, but it sounded like things were looking up.

"She's been able to stay awake…she still doesn't remember anything from that night. Her headaches are still nightmarish and her car ended up in a chop-shop in Alabama, which was to be expected, I guess. It was only a year old, so whoever took it, probably got about five or seven thousand for it…"

"You tried to track her car?"

"You know it…he was too quick…already had it chopped. I was coming home that night from…a job," the guilt could be heard in Ruby's voice. "I…usually I walk over to the bar around closing, just to hang out with her …make sure she gets home okay…but I was…"

"It's not your fault Ruby," Emma had told her best friend this probably a million times and although Dorothy wasn't able to yet, Emma knew that this is who Ruby needed to hear it from really. "Does she have an appetite yet?"

"Not really," Ruby said sadly. "She's getting a lot of rest and praying that the headaches will slow down some." After a few seconds, Ruby added, "she wants to go back to work soon…I can't let her."

"How are you going to stop her?" Emma wondered out loud.

"The headaches are stopping her right now…I just want to protect her, Em. I love her so much…I've never felt like this about anyone and if something were to happen to her."

"We both know that Dorothy can take care of herself," Emma reminded her friend. She could feel Ruby thinking about this, but her friend would never admit as much. "The apartment is ready," she changed the subject quickly.

"Dammit!" she could hear laughter in Ruby's voice, which was a relief. "It's only Friday and you put in your first week of work last week too…"

"I feel good, Ruby," Emma smiled. "I feel really good…"

"You still love her," Ruby said knowingly. "Love makes you feel fucking excellent…"

"It's not just that…" Emma slipped. She had admitted to her best friend that she was still in love with Regina, which didn't take a nuclear physicist to figure out, but Emma didn't want Ruby to think this was all about Regina. "I feel like more of myself up here…like I have a chance to do something…remember when we were young…"

"We're not old," Ruby reminded her.

"You know what I mean…"

Ruby laughed. "I do. I'm happy you are happy. How is Henry?"

"He did a lot better at daycare than I figured he would. And he's getting used to nights at Regina's and then nights here. I couldn't let him pick out his furniture like she did, but he likes his room…likes his space here."

"Maybe Dorothy and I could visit soon…after we get some shit sorted out…"

"Need a change of scenery?"

"Something…" the sadness had returned to her friend's voice.

"You're welcoming here anytime, Ruby. And if you need anything…"

"I know, Emma. I know. Kiss Henry for me."

"He should be home any minute. Regina picked him up from daycare…they are going to pick out his birthday cake…"

"Dammit…his birthday is in what…two weeks?"

"Two weeks …we'll have his birthday party the weekend before…if you want to come up…that'll be the perfect time," Emma suggested.

"We'll see, Emma. Take care of yourself and your family. I'll talk to you soon."

Thirty minutes after she hung up with Ruby, she heard a knock on the door. Even though she had gladly given Regina a key, Regina still used the doorbell or knocked when she knew Emma would be home. Emma opened the door and smiled down at Henry, who was struggling to carry a drink-carrier. "I brought dinner," Regina tried to get out, but was stopped by a sneezed. Emma took the food bags out of her Regina's hands, and laughed.

"You aren't coming down with something, are you?" Emma teased. Henry had had something last week, but he generally got over colds quickly. It came to Emma that Regina wasn't accustomed to "kid's germs," and she would likely quickly pick something up. She frowned, thinking about it as she unloaded the bags. "Seriously, Regina."

"I don't get sick," Regina sneezed again. "I'm going to wash up," Regina said shedding the powder blue tailored jacket. All through dinner, which was a blessing, because Emma really was too tired to cook, Regina continuously cleared her throat.

"Seriously, Regina," Emma said walking Regina to the door much later. "You may be coming down with something…you may want to vitamin C load."

Regina rubbed her eyes. "Thanks, Emma…but I better not be getting sick…I have a long week ahead of me…"

It was obviously a jinx, Regina later realized, because three days later, she had all the classic symptoms of the flu. Regina could barely sit up in bed, yet her phone rang constantly from work. It seemed like a constant crisis was going on, which in reality, was just shock that Regina was in town, but not present at work. She was finally able to sleep a little after ten in the morning, but sleeping was still uncomfortable and her fever made her a bit miserable. That's why it didn't wake her when Emma called her around lunch time.

"Hey, I was just wondering if you'd be in town this weekend…" Emma stopped. "Regina, you sound terrible…"

"Well thank you, Ms. Swan," Regina said weakly.

Emma ignored Regina's quip and questioned, "Are you home? Are you not feeling well?"

"Terrible…I believe the word we are looking for is terrible, Ms. Swan," Regina shivered, even though her body was burning up.

"I'm coming over after work today," Emma said firmly. "Do you think you can make it to the doctor?"

"I think a doctor will come here," Regina sighed, even though she had not even thought about calling a doctor. In her mind, she wasn't sick and she definitely didn't need a doctor.

"Then you should do that," Emma suggested. "If you have the flu…it'll be…"

"I do not have the flu," Regina said quickly. "And if I did…I don't want you and Henry to get it…"

"We've had our flu shots, Regina," Emma announced. "We'll see you around four."

Regina tried to protest, but Emma was already gone. Although she hated to admit it, Emma was likely right. She called a concierge doctor, who showed up nearly immediately, to diagnosis her with the flu, much to Regina's chagrin. "You'll be lucky to be over this in a week, Ms. Mills," the doctor announced after taking her temperature and taking a swab of her throat. "I've seen this flu about ten times this week…lots of fluids, lots of rest and these may help shorten it."

Regina had fallen back asleep by the time Emma and Henry arrived a little after three-thirty. Emma figured that Regina would likely be asleep, so she had prepared to make chicken soup for her friend. The word friend, settled on Emma, as she chopped vegetables, marinated chicken, and tried her hand at making homemade soup. Less than six months ago, this concept would seem completely outrageous, but at least right now, she felt that Regina was her friend.

Emma and Henry hunkered down for a while, until around dinner time, when she went to check on Regina again. "Stay here, kid," she said kissing Henry's forehead. She made her way upstairs and to Regina's bedroom. She had checked on Regina twice, and when she opened the bedroom door this time, Regina was rubbing her eyes into alertness.

"Emma," she said gently, as if she were dreaming.

"Yeah, it's me," Emma said coming over to Regina's bed. She picked up the balled-up Kleenex peppering the bed and disposed of them. "You need more fluids," she picked up the prescription that the doctor had left. "So, it is the flu, huh?"

"Yes, you were right," Regina shivered. She watched as Emma pulled her blanket further up on her body. "Emma…you didn't have to come over…"

"How about I run you a bath," Emma ignored that comment. "And Henry and I will bring you a tray up. I know you have a breakfast-in-bed tray here somewhere…" she teased.

Regina closed her eyes unintentionally, and was shaken lightly after Emma had run her bath. "It'll warm you up," Emma explained, realizing that Regina had the chills. When she had ushered Regina into the bathroom, she quickly changed Regina's bedding, tidied up the bed and then headed back downstairs to Henry, who was watching one of his favorite shows. "Mom is up, kid," she watched as Henry brightened up a bit. When she told him on the way over that Regina may be sick, it had scared the little boy. She hadn't meant to, and she had promised the little boy that they would take care of Regina until she was well again. That was the reason they had stopped, gotten the ingredients for soup, ginger ale, Jello, and a few other things that every sick person needed.

"Can I check on her?" Henry asked brightly.

"She's in the tub right now, kid. But let's make her a tray," Emma encouraged. Henry helped get crackers, ginger ale and Jello on the tray, while Emma got the soup on it. "I'm gonna run up and check and make sure mom is back in the bed, okay?" Henry nodded and waited for Emma to return. When she did, they carried up the tray to Regina, who was back in the bed. Henry stayed with Regina the entire time she ate dinner, and then when Emma ran home to get clothes for work the next day. They both were asleep by the time Emma returned.

Emma dutifully got their son ready and into bed, and went back to check on Regina one last time before she showered and got into bed herself. She knocked quickly and opened the door again to Regina's room. Regina still looked sick, but Emma was positive she had taken her latest dose of medicine, even though she had barely eaten. Emma was backing out of the room when she could barely hear Regina's voice.

"Hey…" Emma came fully back into the room, "I can barely hear you, Regina."

"Thank you for coming," Regina said, only half awake. "I know you don't have to…" she said through her fever, "but that's what makes you so special anyways…it's why I've always loved you," she added before passing out again.

Emma was floored, even though she shouldn't have been. Regina's words stuck with her through the next few days while Regina was on the mend.

"You look better, mom," Henry said coming into Regina's house and immediately found Regina working on her laptop in the den.

"I feel better, sweetheart," she kissed the little boy on the top of the head. "You and Emma took extra good care of me" she said looking over the little boy's head to Emma. Emma could feel herself flush red, but tried to play it off. "I can try to make dinner tonight…"

"No, you are probably still tired…" Emma began.

Regina didn't deny it. "But I have to get over it because I'm headed back to work tomorrow." She noticed Emma's frowned, but explained, "The American University banquet is this Saturday and I have to go, so I may as well make it to work tomorrow."

"I just don't want you pushing yourself."

"I won't," Regina grinned a bit. "I'll even let you make dinner tonight," Regina tickled Henry. The little boy laughed, Regina laughed and eventually Emma laughed; just happy that Regina was feeling better. Regina did manage to do the dishes, and for the first night in three, she had to walk Emma to the door because she was going to her apartment.

"I'm glad you are feeling better, Regina," Emma said almost sadly. Henry was already in his bed asleep, and Regina was really tired, so Emma wasn't going to overstay her welcome. "I'll pick Henry up tomorrow from daycare and keep him this weekend since you have the banquet."

"It's not as if I want to go, but…"

"Oh, I know how you feel about that banquet. It always got us in trouble," Emma reminded Regina of the past. Her heart broke a little when Regina smiled a little too easily at their memories and she realized they could have been making new ones.

"Well, perhaps if you weren't far more interesting than those speakers at the banquet, I wouldn't have been so distracted," Regina joked. A somberness settled between them and Regina tried to break it, "Thank you again, Emma. I'm not accustomed to being taken care of…"

"No one should have to deal with the flu alone; especially not you, Regina," Emma said quickly. "I should be going," she said quickly exiting. Although Regina was obviously confused, Emma needed her space quickly. Regina didn't figure out why until two days later…

* * *

"Aren't you supposed to be at least pretending to enjoy yourself?" Emma laughed, looking at the screen of the video chat. Henry and Regina had video chatted for nearly an hour, an hour that Regina was supposed to be mingling with other people at the banquet.

"I'm about to slide out, unnoticed and come spend some time with my son," Regina revealed playfully.

"You are so wrong," Emma laughed, even though her heart danced a little with the thought of seeing Regina that night.

"I've already called my driver," Regina stuck her tongue out at Emma and Henry did the same. "Is it okay?"

"Is what, okay?" Emma questioned, somewhat confused.

"If I came over tonight…"

"You are not leaving that banquet, Regina," her heart was beating faster now.

"Yes," Regina corrected her, "My son and I need to watch the new Ninja Turtle movie."

"You know I don't mind you coming over," Emma said. And it was that easy, an hour later, Regina, in her black crisscross ballgown, was at the front door. "You look…"

"Uncomfortable," Regina sighed, losing her six-inch heels at the door.

"We gonna watch the turtles!" Henry jumped into Regina's arms enthusiastically. He nearly made it through the entire movie, before he was completely clocked out. Regina carried him to bed and returned to the living room with Emma.

"I can't believe you left the banquet…." Emma teased.

"It wasn't my banquet specifically," Regina laughed. "And I much preferred the Ninja Turtles." She looked around for a moment. "I like your place, Emma."

"Do you?" Emma questioned, stretching out a bit on her couch. She was proud of herself. She had a job now, and her own place and although Regina's approval shouldn't have meant so much to her, it did.

They sat on opposite ends of the sectional sofa, so Regina turned to face Emma. "I'm proud of you, Emma."

"What does that mean exactly, Regina?" she asked carefully.

Regina smiled wistfully and gave it a moment of thought. "You're going to be difficult," she challenged softly.

Emma allowed her blue eyes to explore Regina frame with some liberty. Regina didn't shrink from the scrutiny, which emboldened Emma even more. She stood, taking the two steps needed to be standing directly in front of Regina. "Stand up," she requested softly. Regina only raised a brow, but ignored the request. "Please," she sighed, praying that she didn't lose her nerve before Regina complied. Regina's eyes settled on hers and once she saw the seriousness in their depths, Regina stood slightly in front of Emma. She didn't dare say a word, the room's energy had changed; and for a moment, it was messy and strange to her. A knot was forming in the pit of her stomach, just as Emma broke the silence once again. "You aren't making this easy," Emma said weakly, still watching the realization of what she was talking about play out on Regina's face.

"I'm not trying to make this hard," Regina sighed.

"I still love you, Regina," Emma confessed once again. Regina closed her eyes to the words, but no grimace followed the action. Regina licked her lips unconsciously, and Emma lost all self-control. She stepped a fraction of an inch closer and sighed, "I wanna kiss you," she murmured.

Regina opened her eyes defiantly, the way she always did when she was about to kiss or be kissed. When Emma made no move to come closer, she acknowledged, "I wouldn't stop you…"

It still wasn't enough to get over the hump for Emma, her mind flooded with all she blamed herself for screwing up, and she was surprised stiff when she felt Regina's hand in her hair and the gently teasing of Regina's tongue on her lips. She opened her mouth instinctively, welcoming the taste of Regina's mouth against hers. They fell into a familiar rhythm, Regina keeping her eyes wide open and Emma closing her eyes to the tender pleasure of being explored by Regina Mills. Soon, they were back on the couch, Emma leaning back on the cushion, trying not to enjoy this too much.

"You're holding back," Regina said after a while. She was a woman, who had no qualms about what she wanted, and right now, she wanted Emma Swan.

Emma shook her head, "I'm not…"

Regina pulled back frowning. "Perhaps I don't elicit any passion in you anymore," she challenged.

"Don't do that," Emma warned, her body flooded with passion. "I just don't want to start something I can't have…" she muttered, before capturing Regina's mouth again. This time, she took control, laying gently on Regina as they kissed. "Jesus, you still feel amazing," she said once they parted a bit. She found her hand on Regina's thigh, trying to pace herself and her expectation. Yet, Regina never seemed to think about pacing herself or her expectations. Her hands moved fluidly under Emma's shirt and found their way to Emma's ribcage, and then explored higher.

"Let's go to your bedroom," she suggested, hurriedly. Emma could only nod and quickly led Regina down the small hallway and into her bedroom. Her mind was a complete blur and she was just happy that she had actually made her bed this morning. Regina sat on her bed as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and waited as Emma closed her bedroom door. When Emma didn't move from the door, Regina narrowed her eyes. "Do you not want this, Emma?" she tried to sound strong, but the hurt in her eyes betrayed that.

"You can't be serious," Emma said finally coming into the room fully. She found Regina's mouth again, this time bending over slightly to have the access she needed. She kissed Regina until they were both breathless, and finally took a seat beside her. "Stand up," Emma commanded, and to her surprise, Regina complied quickly. The zipper on Regina's dress was on the side, and Emma slid it down with slow pleasure. She leaned to the side, kissed Regina's ribcage and reveled in the fact that she felt Regina stiffened to the feel of her lips. She wasn't as bold as she was pretending to be right now, much to Emma's relief. She didn't think she could do this if Regina was really this nonchalant about their reunion. Emma was nervous, and excited and already thinking about the repercussions, yet she couldn't stop herself. She sat back a bit as Regina pulled her dress off and stepped out of it. It was nearly painful to watch.

Obviously, Regina took the expression on Emma's face as a criticism of her body, and quickly seemed deflated. She sat back beside Emma, quietly looking to the floor.

"Baby, what's the matter?" Emma asked slowly, wondering why Regina suddenly looked like she had lost her best friend.

"You seem…disappointed," Regina explained carefully. "With me…"

Emma couldn't dignify that with a response; instead she once again began to kiss Regina. She explored her mouth until Regina didn't think she could take anymore. She hadn't thought she would end up in Emma's bed tonight, but she wasn't going to deny herself either. She didn't stop Emma when the woman pulled back and began kissing her neck and then a trail down to her breasts.

"Emma," she squirmed. Emma ignored her and lavished her breasts through the lacy material covering them. Her nipples had already tightened and Regina was having an insanely hard time controlling the desire spiraling through her body. When Emma reached behind her and freed the clasp of her bra, the sharp intake of air by Regina was rewarded with a devious smile from Emma. She ignored her lover's breasts, and pulled Regina back into a fierce and passionate kiss. Feeling Regina surrender under her, Emma almost lost what little control she had. She wedged herself between Regina's thighs, feeling her breasts against the thin material covering her own body, made Emma moan weakly.

She didn't let Regina speak, knowing that words would break her strength and confidence right now. She found Regina's right breast, perky and waiting to enter her mouth. She fingered the nipple for a moment, realizing that it could become harder, more erect, and smiled as she drew a circle around it with her tongue.

"Emma," Regina grated out almost painfully. Most of the blood from her head had pooled between her legs and now her clit was absolutely throbbing. She could barely form words and since her son was in the next room, it took all her self-control not to be grossly loud. Emma didn't seem to care about this fact, because she continued to torture her, one nipple at a time. Finally, Emma kissed her way down Regina's tight abdominal muscles and stopped just above the waistband of her panties.

Pausing, Emma's mind wandered back to the first time she had ever "went down" on Regina. They had been dating for nearly two months, but Regina had never pushed the issue with her new girlfriend. Emma worried that she wouldn't know what to do, or even worse, wouldn't like it, but she was pleasantly surprised at how much she loved the taste and scent of Regina Mills. It was really the first time that she realized that she really enjoyed making love to another person, but she supposed, most of that feeling had been lost over the last couple of years.

"You don't have too…" Regina was sitting up on her elbows, looking down at the emotions play out on Emma's face.

"Shut up," Emma challenged.

Regina pulled Emma's face back to hers and kissed her harshly. She laid back and smiled when Emma gently pinched her top lip between her teeth. She gasped when she felt Emma's hand inside of her panties now, exploring the wetness that she alone had caused. Regina moved against her hand and grunted. "Not fair," she gritted out, right before Emma's fingers grazed her clit. "Em…ma," she arched, trying not to come. "St…op…stop…" she begged. "I don't wanna…"

"You don't wanna what?" Emma tongued kissed and inserted two fingers into her warmth. "Fuck," she sighed, just now remembering how good it felt to be inside of Regina. She explored her lover for a few moments before removing her fingers completely and expertly sliding Regina's panties off. She slid lower on the bed, kissing Regina's body as she went. She settled between Regina's thighs, for a second wondering why Regina bothered maintaining a Brazilian at all times. She didn't have time to really consider, because she was too eager to taste what she had deprived herself of four years earlier.

Emma felt Regina's hand in her hair as she slowly kissed Regina's inner thigh. She didn't want to tease Regina too long, only wanted to feel her come apart in her mouth. It took very little effort, for which Emma was thankful, her rhythm with Regina was what it had always been, nearly flawless. She heard the panting and shortness of breath coming from her lover, right around the time she circled her clit the third time with her tongue. "Are you coming, baby?" she asked as if she didn't know the answer.

Regina tried to talk, but all form of language had left her body. She was at Emma's mercy now, and although she hated the concept of being at anyone's mercy, trusted Emma completely. She felt the woman's tongue part her pussy lips and finally settle happily on her clit. She could barely raise her hips to meet Emma's mouth before she was losing control. It was quick, passionate and automatic, something she hadn't felt in ages, and Regina allowed her body and mind to disconnect from one another in ecstasy. By the time they met again, Emma had laid her head on her stomach, trying to regain her own equilibrium.

"Emma," Regina said softly, running her fingers along Emma's temple. "Emma," she tried again, but received no response from the blonde. Regina sat up, seeing her belly peppered with Emma's tears. "Sweetheart," she said gently, raising Emma's eyes to hers. She didn't question the tears, only brought Emma's face closer so she could kiss the cheeks on which the tears fell. She held Emma for a while, until the blonde had the desire to speak again.

"I missed you so much…" Emma finally revealed. "I missed…making love to someone I love," she tried to explain. "And I know you no longer love me...but it's all so different with you, Regina." Regina stayed silent, not exactly sure what to say. "It's not your problem," Emma said after a while. "I just…"

"It would sound possessive of me to say that everything about you is my problem," Regina offered up a joke. When Emma smiled, Regina kissed her again. "Sleep in my arms, if only for a few hours…"

"Why only a few hours?" Emma questioned, closing her eyes as she lay her head against Regina's shoulder.

"Because eventually Henry will be awake and I'm not emotionally fit enough to explain why we are naked, in the same bed…Still, I'm selfish and want to hold you," she stroked Emma's spine through her shirt.

"You're the only one naked," Emma quipped.

"I've explained my selfishness," Regina chuckled kissing Emma's forehead. She smiled as Emma circled her ribcage with her finger.

"What did we just do, Regina?" Emma sat up, worry rushing through her.

Regina sat up beside her. "What do you mean?" she asked. She kissed the side of Emma's neck, then her cheek, and finally, she found Emma's swollen lips hungrily. "You didn't want to eat my pussy?"

"Jesus, Regina," Emma blushed profusely.

"I'm beginning to feel like one of those drunk mistakes I used to hear about in college…" Regina said putting some space between the two of them.

"You know it's not that …I just …we aren't together, Regina and that's scary to me," Emma said closing the distance between them again. "And I'm not trying to push you or …"

"I needed you tonight, Emma," Regina admitted slowly. She could be a bitch and pretend like this was a spur of the moment ordeal, but Regina knew that Emma needed to hear the truth in the moment and she planned on telling her. "Being in that room of people from the banquet; the same banquet that four years ago, we would have been in together…it irked me." Emma looked at her blankly, not completely understanding what Regina was talking about. "It all seemed so fake and useless, because all I could think about was watching a movie with our son. And once our son was tucked into bed, safely, behind locked doors with us, all I could think about next was…you…"

It was the first time that Regina was even admitting this to herself, and it felt somewhat relieving, but more than anything terrifying. "This is not going to be perfect Emma, but I give a shit. I don't want you ever feeling like I don't…"

Emma was stunned into silence. She lay back in her bed, just looking at Regina for a moment. "Did it feel good?" she eventually asked. She felt Regina lay back beside her.

"God, yes," Regina closed her eyes. "Like old times…"

"Just like old times," Emma mumbled before falling asleep in Regina's arms.

It was nearly five hours later before she was jostled awake. "You're going?" she rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up.

"He's an early bird, even on Sundays," Regina sighed, putting her bra and panties on.

"Did you sleep?"

"Not really," Regina said honestly.

Emma sat up, watching Regina get back into her black dress. "I love you," she said gently.

Regina smiled, came over and kissed her one last time for the day. "I know…I'll call you a couple of hours; after I get some sleep. Oh, and I'm taking the Volvo…I'll bring it back later…"

"Promise?" Emma smiled.

Regina laughed, zipping up her dress. "Promise," she grinned, kissing Emma again for good measure. A couple of hours couldn't past fast enough.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Henry had fallen asleep with her phone, talking to Regina as he fell asleep. Emma wasn't too happy with Henry's new dependence on technology, but when Regina wasn't around, it was becoming the only way he would go to sleep. Emma kissed her son's forehead and took her phone back to her bedroom. She would have called Regina herself, but she was angry and overall pouting about her absence. It was Sunday, the day after she was able to once again have Regina Mills in her bed, and out of the blue, Regina had to fly to Seattle on business. She had dropped the car off at nearly eight in the morning and flown out without so much as a word to Emma until she was already in Seattle. Although Emma hadn't wanted to fight, it was inevitable, since her feelings were so openly tender today. So, Emma busied herself with preparation for the week, much to her exhaustion, and now, a bit after nine, she wanted to talk to Regina, even though she denied herself this luxury.

She tossed her phone on the nightstand and wrapped herself up in the bed. She would be asleep soon, she told herself, because if she didn't go to sleep soon, she would try to call Regina. Luckily, she didn't have to deny herself this, because her phone buzzed noisily on the nightstand. Regina's name flashed on the screen and Emma hesitated before finally answering the phone.

"Hello," the coldness peppered her voice, just as she wanted it to.

"Emma," Regina said gently. She knew she was in trouble, but didn't deserve to be. "This was unavoidable…I have a code patch to construct and I thought I could put it off for another couple of weeks, but we are selling more subscriptions than we expected; so, the patch needed to be created now."

The explanation didn't take the sting out of the fact of Regina not being there. "You could have told me in person…"

"And wake you up at eight?" Regina sighed. "Did you get any sleep last night?" she challenged softly. When Emma didn't answer, Regina's thoughts were confirmed. "I didn't want you and Henry to be awaken just to hear that I had to fly to Seattle."

Emma buckled under the rationale. "How long will you be away?" she finally questioned.

"Probably Thursday or Friday at the latest," Regina said regretfully.

"Regina…" Emma sighed. She wanted to hang up, because she could feel the tears brimming in her eyes. She didn't understand why she was being so stupid, so needy, but she wanted Regina near her right now. They were just reconnecting and already work was wedging them apart. "Well, I guess I'll see you in four days."

"Sweetheart," Regina cooed, "don't be this way," she almost pleaded. "I'm never going to be able to concentrate with you being upset about this…"

"Why should you worry about me?" Emma asked, sardonically. "Listen, Regina…I'm exhausted. I'll have Henry call you tomorrow after dinner, okay?"

"Emma…" Regina tried not to sound as hurt as she felt. Emma still didn't trust her and it was heartbreaking. Still, she knew she wasn't going to get far over the phone, so she let Emma hang up without any further conversation.

The next three days, Regina pushed her tech team mercilessly, and although she won no favor with them, they completed their task a lot more efficiently than they previously would have. By Wednesday morning, she was back on a plane to DC and by the time Emma and Henry came home that evening, Regina was waiting in the parking lot of their apartment complex.

"Mom!" Henry yelled, sprinting towards Regina. She lifted her son off the ground, kissing him happily, yet keeping her eyes on Emma as she passed them and opened the apartment door. "Mom! Are you stayin' for dinner…we having chicken nuggets and green beans," he rattled off. He dropped his bookbag in the middle of the floor, but stopped in his tracks when he heard Emma call him.

"Do we leave our things in the middle of the floor?" Emma questioned sternly. Henry shook his little head, picked up his bag and took it to his room. He raced back to talk to Regina about everything that had happened in the three days she was gone. It wasn't until after he had been put to bed nearly five hours later, that Regina finally had a chance to really concentrate on Emma.

Regina moved behind Emma as she finished cleaning up the kitchen, and wrapped her arms around Emma's waist. "I missed you," Regina whispered in Emma's ear.

"Don't," Emma said squirming away from Regina. She was doing her best to hold onto her anger and she couldn't do that if she felt Regina pressed against her. Still, she turned to look at Regina and her defenses cracked a bit.

"I did miss you, Emma. You know I did…" Regina said backing up a bit.

"I don't think I can do this…" Emma said, her voice trembling a bit.

"Do what?" Regina asked barely above a whisper.

"What are we doing?" Emma countered.

Regina rolled her eyes, because she knew where this was going.

"See…" Emma began. "We don't want the same things, obviously, Regina."

"What are you talking about?" Regina tried not to sound irritated. She was tired and she truly wasn't ready to have 'relationship' conversations right now. "Let's just table this for right now and spend some time together…"

"Regina, you don't get to set the rules of how I feel," Emma stuttered. She could feel the tears bubble up and she was powerless to stop them. "Maybe we should just table this…all of this," she blurted out before she could stop herself.

Regina's jaw tightened, but she wasn't about to let Emma see how hurt she was by this comment. "I'll pick Henry up from daycare tomorrow," Regina said heading towards the front door. She slowed, thinking that Emma would stop her, but eventually opened the door. "Goodnight Emma," she said tightly, sadly.

"Goodbye, Regina," Emma sighed. Regina was able to make it completely out of the door before Emma dissolved into tears.

* * *

There was no turning back; that's the thing that most people didn't understand about Regina Mills. Emma understood this better than anyone, so once two days passed and Regina remained distant, Emma understood just how deeply she had fucked up. Regina had picked Henry up from daycare on Thursday and that night, Emma only spoke to him. It was the same on Friday night, and by Saturday, Emma was going stir crazy.

"Can we talk?" Emma questioned, unsteady just thinking about Regina's answer. The older woman was on the other end of the phone, and although Emma knew her moods, Regina sounded cool and collected.

"We are talking now," Regina quipped derisively. It was evening and she and Henry had bunkered down for the night. Henry had taken his bath and now he played happily in his room before bed.

"Regina…" Emma began.

"Tomorrow…are we splitting the day with him, or…?"

It would be Mother's Day, but Emma hadn't thought about the implications of the holiday. For the previous three, she and Henry had spent the occasion pretty low key, but this Mother's Day would be different. It was Regina's first Mother's Day and Emma realized that it should be special. "You should have him for the entire day," she yielded immediately.

"You're his mother too, Emma," Regina rebuffed quickly. "We should have lunch or dinner together…it will make our son happy," she said finally.

"Lunch…that way we can get into a rhythm for the rest of the week," Emma offered.

"Should I try to get a reservation or shall we cook?"

"We both know I am a horrible cook," Emma chuckled a bit.

"You're not horrible at anything, Emma," Regina said quietly.

"I miss you…" Emma began, but she could hear Henry saying something in the background.

"Emma…" Regina allowed the name to linger on the tongue, "Henry…"

"I know," and Emma really did understand. "Tomorrow, is noon okay?"

"Come early," Regina said before turning her attention to Henry. "Okay, sweetheart," she said. "Emma, our son wants a snack before bed."

"Okay, kiss him for me," Emma said before hanging up.

She had no plans for the rest of the evening, so Emma settled into her usual routine. She took a hot shower, oiled her skin and settled into a pair of shorts and a tank top. She had just settled onto the couch and turned on the television when her cell phone beeped with a text message.

 **Regina** : So you want to talk?

Emma read the text three times before she could answer. The few times that Regina was unsure of herself, Emma knew she lost all desire to be verbal. Still, this was a sign that she wasn't completely through with Emma, which excited and scared Emma to death. Emma typed her response quickly, and wait nervously for Regina's next response.

 **Regina:** I'm willing to listen…

It was the response that Emma received after she responded, 'Of course!' to Regina's first message.

 **Emma** : I wanna come ova…

 **Regina:** Henry is already asleep.

 **Emma:** I wanna talk 2 u face 2 face

There was nearly a thirty-minute wait before Regina replied.

 **Regina:** O.K.

Emma pulled on a pair of jeans and her favorite blue and grey plaid shirt and walked the ten blocks in the warm May air. The sun had just disappeared in the sky by the time Emma made it to Regina's front door. She knocked, instead of her using her key, and waited for Regina to open the door. "Sorry it took so long to reply," she apologized immediately, tying her silk robe tighter, "I was in the shower."

Emma swallowed thickly. "Yeah," she shook the thought of Regina in the shower out of her head, "That's … I didn't mean to interrupt you…"

"Well, I was out, Emma," Regina said, moving to the side and allowing Emma to enter. "You just got me before I could dress."

"I won't stay long then," Emma offered, although she knew she was lying. Just seeing Regina in a robe had a lit a fire throughout Emma's body and she doubted she could tolerate anything less than having Regina in her arms. "I just wanted to apologize in person," she said quickly.

"What?" Regina raised a perfectly arched brow in confusion. "What are you talking about, Emma Swan?"

"For Wednesday…. for pretending like I wanted you to leave…it hurt me…when you left Monday after we…"

"It was purely work, Emma," Regina sighed. She was so sick of circling this drain.

They had migrated to the living room and taken seats on opposite sides of the room. Regina sat up regally, watching Emma fidgeting with her fingers, trying to find the words to explain why Monday had devastated her so thoroughly.

"You just don't understand the power you have over me," Emma said quietly; sadly.

Something flashed in Regina's eyes. That statement needed clarification, because obvious Emma didn't understand the power she had over her either. "What do you mean, Swan?"

"I can't do anything with you halfway," Emma tried to explain. "When we…" she couldn't find the words to describe how she felt about last Sunday night, "and then the next morning, you had gotten on a plane like it was nothing…"

"Why do we keep doing this to ourselves?" Regina wondered out loud. "I can't have you, Emma. You keep making that apparent, and I can't seem to get the hint. I'd do anything for you and Henry; I would never leave you, but I can't prove that to you and you don't trust me, Emma." Regina moved to the edge of her seat and eventually stood. "And to think, I didn't leave you. I didn't disappear from you, with your child; I didn't fall in love with some half-wit bastard…I didn't…but I'm the one being punished here, Emma…so you tell me…what exactly do you want, Emma?"

Emma stood and closed the distance between the two of them. "I just want to be with you; I just want to be yours again, Regina."

Regina looked at Emma and realized the seriousness in the younger woman's voice. They were close, too close really and it took Regina's breath away. "You don't want that," she shook her head stubbornly. She stiffened when she felt Emma's arms around her waist and pulling her closer.

"Just let me be yours again," Emma pleaded against Regina's ear. She could feel Regina soften against her and she licked Regina's earlobe. Regina pulled back slightly, looked in Emma's blue eyes and narrowed her brown ones.

"You want to be mine, huh?" she asked with a mix of skepticism and raw need. She wanted to believe Emma and even more, she wanted Emma to be hers even more than Emma wanted it. "Come on," she threaded her fingers with Emma's and led her to the downstairs master bedroom. She closed the door behind them as Emma moved to the center of the room. "What does that really mean, Emma?"

"You know what that means," Emma countered softly.

Regina thought back to their previous relationship for a moment and shook her head. "I really don't know what that means, Emma," she said honestly. She passed Emma, and took a seat on the Chaise lounge, tightening her robe again as she sat. "We should probably start clean; if we start at all."

"What does start mean?" Emma raised a brow.

"We could date…I could court you…"

Emma smiled slowly. "You don't need to court me, Regina," she said laughing.

"Don't laugh at my ideas," Regina feigned hurt. "I don't know what to do with you, Emma," she sighed.

Emma stopped smiling and became deftly serious. "Anything you want, Regina."

Regina licked her bottom lip. Something about Emma's tone made her want to test the "anything" theory. "Anything, huh?" She sat up a bit straighter. "So, if I wanted you to …" she paused cleverly, "if I wanted you to take your shirt off…" Regina said, gauging Emma's reaction. She could see the woman consider the request, and something automatically succumb in her.

Without a word, Emma began unbuttoning the plaid shirt that covered her body. Once the shirt hung loose on her torso, Emma looked at Regina and bit down on her bottom lip. She didn't want Regina to know, but it unnerved her to even be semi-nude in front of her now. Regina hadn't seen her body in almost four years; she was bound to be disappointed.

"Now your jeans," Regina commanded softly.

Emma's hand trembled as she unbuckled her belt and then unfastened the button of her jeans. She slid them over her butt and thighs slowly, and when they finally hit the ground, she stepped out of them shakily.

Regina was mystified at Emma's soft pale skin, and the shy look in her big blue eyes almost undid her. Emma Swan couldn't really be shy with her, could she? They had done everything under the sun and Regina had seen Emma at her best and worst; there was really no reason to be shy with her. "What's wrong, baby?" Regina asked sweetly. She crossed her legs, trying to tamper down some of the raw sexual need that was coursing through her body now. "Emma…" she tried again when Emma said nothing.

"It's been a long time," Emma said diverting her eyes to the hardwood floor. "My body has changed…"

Regina only nodded, immediately understanding what Emma was saying. "Beautifully…your body has changed beautifully," she finished for her. "Even from a distance and with a bra on, I can see your breast are fuller…" she commented. "Take it off…" when Emma looked directly at her, Regina added some pressure to her voice. "Take your bra off, Emma."

Emma reached underneath her shirt and unhooked her bra. Pulling it off with her shirt still covering her body, Emma dropped the plain black bra beside her jeans in the middle of the floor. She took a few steps back, collided with the end of the bed and sat down.

"They are the same breasts I love, Emma. Do you remember the attention I used to pay to them?" Regina asked cockily. "You would nearly come from just my mouth on your breasts," she shifted, allowing the memories to flood her body with desire. "They would become so hard in my mouth…"

"Regina!" Emma growled, desperate to not think about how good their sex USED to be. It had been almost two years since she REALLY enjoyed having sex and it still paled in comparison to anything she had shared with Regina.

Regina's brown eyes had grown darker and she was lost in the moment now. "Open your shirt so I can see your breasts, Emma," she requested. Emma opened the shirt gradually, watching how Regina bit down on her bottom lip as her eyes trailed from Emma's breasts to the pale blue boyshorts that Emma wore. "Do you want to touch your breasts, Emma?"

"Do you want to touch them?" Emma countered, even though her nipples were now hard enough to cut glass.

"Of course, I want to touch them," Regina laughed humorlessly. "I spent half of my time with you trying not to touch them; so, do it for me," Regina moved to the edge of the chaise lounge now to get a better look at Emma.

Emma only hesitated for a moment, before her fingers found her tight nipples and caressed them. The sharp intake of breath from Regina gave Emma a deep shiver that shot from her nipples to her clit. She had forgotten how good it felt to touch herself; even more, how good it felt to have Regina's eyes on her. "I'm getting wet," she whimpered.

"Oh yes, you would get so wet," Regina recalled fondly. "Oh, and your clit would get so swollen…is it swollen now, Em?"

"I don't know…"

"Take your panties off," Regina encouraged.

"I can't Regina," Emma shook her head.

Regina frowned, "Do it for me. Take them off for me."

Emma stood, willing to do anything for Regina, pulled her panties off and sat back on the bed. She could feel how wet she was, but she wanted Regina to find out for herself. She knew that Regina was reaching her limit, that soon she would have to touch her, but Regina seemed determined to torture them both in this manner.

"I'm definitely wet," Emma confessed. "Are you wet too?"

"Soaking."

"I haven't felt like this in a long time, Regina…"

"Wet?" Regina asked sarcastically.

Instead of answering, Emma moved further away from Regina, which elicited a deep frown from Regina. "If you can't play nice," Emma teased. She leaned against the headboard now and opened her legs a bit, showing the thin blonde thatch covering her sex. Then, with more boldness than she really felt, she ran her finger over her clit. It caused her to shudder, but even more, it caused Regina gasp. Emma rubbed her thumb roughly over the swollen button and allowed two of her fingers to find her slick opening. She could hear Regina's voice become ragged and was tempted to stop.

"Don't stop," Regina instructed roughly. She could feel her own body tighten, but she had to see Emma finish herself off. Emma did as she was told, and explored herself softly, languishing over the contours of her pussy lips, and trying desperately to avoid the overly sensitive button that would make her lose control. This worked for less than a minute and Emma could already feel herself nearing the end.

"I'm close, Regina," she said closing her eyes now. She delved her fingers deeply, feeling her wetness spill out. She added her thumb again, pressing against her clit and feeling the build of her orgasm. She pushed her fingers until they could go no further and pulled them back quickly.

"Baby, don't stop," Emma could hear in the background, which was encouragement enough for Emma to increase the pace. She continued to feel the pressure build, but no relief came. Trying desperately to concentrate on her orgasm, Emma continued to stroke herself aggressively. After another three minutes or so, Emma opened her eyes, feeling humiliated and utterly unfulfilled. She dropped her head, her pale skin flushed with both desire and embarrassment. She felt like she would die of humiliation, and automatically closed her legs.

"What's…what's wrong?" Regina questioned tentatively. The pressure in the room had changed, from electric lust to dolefulness.

"I can't…I can't…" Emma stuttered. She couldn't hold back her tears.

"Emma…Emma," Regina said coming to the bed immediately. She quickly grabbed a throw that was at the bottom of the bed and wrapped it around Emma.

"This is so embarrassing," Emma lamented. She could do nothing, but dissolve into tears in Regina's arms.

After ten minutes of soothing her nude conquest, Regina finally got Emma calm enough to actually talk. "What happened?"

"I just couldn't…I just couldn't finish…"

"Finish? We were having a great time, Emma. That's all that matters," Regina promised.

Emma let out a frustrated breath. "You don't get it, Regina. I'm just not sexual anymore… I don't feel sexual, I can't even make myself come…it's useless…"

"We are having a good time," Regina reiterated. She pulled Emma closer and kissed her temple. "You're just feeling a lot of things," Regina reminded her. "And you are probably sleepy," Regina smiled. It took a moment, but eventually Emma smiled too.

"Maybe a little tired…and worried that you wouldn't forgive me," she figured. "I should get dressed…head back home and …"

"Stay," Regina said barely above a whisper. "We'll wake up early and you came move to your old bedroom. Henry will be none the wiser," she suggested.

Emma eagerly agreed. Regina changed into her normal pajamas, but frowned in search of something for Emma to sleep in. "You could sleep nude," she suggested, smugly. Emma had pulled her boyshorts back on, and Regina would love if Emma would sleep topless. Still, she searched her closet until she found a brand new semi-plain tee shirt.

Once they had settled in bed, Regina wrapped her arms around Emma and pulled her closer. "I'm glad you came here tonight," she whispered against Emma's ear.

Emma turned to face Regina, now that they had turned off all the lights, the room was mostly dark besides some moonlight gathering across Regina's face. "Tell me I'm yours again," she pleaded softly.

Regina found Emma's blue eyes and saw that flash of green that always belonged only to her. "You're mine, Emma," she vowed, "and nothing is going to come between us again."

* * *

"What exactly are corn-dog nuggets?" Regina questioned, as her son beamed happiness. He and Emma had been working diligently in the kitchen for nearly thirty minutes now and dinner was finally ready. Henry seemed excited and Emma seemed playfully sorrowfully. "Sorry," she mouthed behind the little boy, but Regina was not going to let her off the hook this easily. Regina had offered to make dinner; they had picked up beautiful lamb chops, green beans and purple potatoes at the grocery store earlier, but instead, Emma and Henry had made dinner.

"Happy Mothers' Day, Mom!" Henry said, jumping into Regina's lap. "I love you!" he said, kissing Regina's cheek.

Regina instantly melted, no longer concerned about the corn-dog whatever was waiting for her dinner. Every time that little boy said 'I love you' unprompted, her heart melted and swelled at the same time. "I love you too, Henry."

"Good," he said casually. He looked over at Emma, and then back at Regina. "Do you love Mommy too?" he asked as if it wasn't a huge question. When Regina didn't answer immediately, he frowned. "You gotta love Mommy too," he began, but was stopped by the doorbell ringing. He hopped down, "I'll get it," he said as if he forgot even asking whether his moms loved each other.

"Henry," Emma said sprinting to catch up with the little boy. "You can't open the door on your own," she said sternly. Henry was growing up too quickly and becoming too independent. She didn't even want to remind herself that he could work her phone almost better than she could. He had once taken her iPhone and called Regina when he was supposed to be brushing his teeth for bed.

Emma made it to the door and opened it herself.

"Regina Mills?" a slender teenage boy asked with a large bouquet of flowers in a crystal vase questioned.

"I'm Regina Mills," Regina said, instantly beside Emma.

"These are for you," he pushed the large crystal vase into Regina's hands.

"I didn't know flowers were delivered on Sundays," Emma mumbled, immediately becoming jealous for reasons she couldn't navigate.

"Thank you," Regina said, obviously surprised. The young man smiled and turned to leave, his van still running on the curb down from the driveway.

Regina took the flowers and vase over to the dining room table and placed them down gently. She pulled the card, read it and beamed brightly. "Oh," she cooed, "Kathryn sent them," she revealed. " _To your first official Mothers' Day, may your day be as beautiful as your son._ " Regina put the card back and leaned over to smell the mix of spring flowers.

"Maybe we should eat dinner," Emma now seemed deflated and distant, "I should head home soon…I have a lot to do for the week," she tried to sound even and unaffected. She was quiet through Henry's prepared feast of corn-dog nuggets, tater tots, and broccoli. For dessert, he had pudding cups and although no one enjoyed the meal as much as he did, Henry considered the first dinner he made for his moms a success. He and Regina talked, laughed and played until it was time to decide if Henry was going home with Emma or staying with Regina another night.

"I can just pick him up from daycare tomorrow," Emma said easily. "He's probably already half sleep in his room now…" she said, her eyes trailing to the large bouquet behind where she and Regina were sitting.

"My day shouldn't be too bad tomorrow," Regina said thinking. "Do you want to have dinner? It won't be as good as tonight's dinner," she joked, but it fell on deaf ears. "Emma…"

"Sorry," Emma shook her head, still looking at the flowers. Regina's eyes followed Emma's.

"Should I have gotten flowers for you?" Regina looked horrified at her lapse in judgement. "I should have thought about getting you something…"

"No…no…" Emma's eyes fell to Regina, who looked seriously apologetic for the oversight. "I just wanted to spend the day with you and Henry…but I was thinking that maybe I should have gotten you something. Since it's really your first Mothers' Day…"

Regina smiled, relieved. "You got me the greatest present ever!" she said pulling Emma into a quick, but passionate kiss. "Which, I should go up and check on. I'll be right back," she said disappearing upstairs. Regina returned about fifteen minutes later, smiling. "He fell asleep on top of his bed, with that large stuffed dinosaur that Crimson gave him. I got him at least under the covers."

"You're a very good mother, Regina," Emma said softly. "Motherhood fits you so well."

"You think so?" a flash of insecure showed itself in Regina.

Emma smiled, "God, yes," she confirmed.

"I worry sometimes that I'm not doing things right, or I'm not doing enough," Regina admitted, sitting back beside Emma. She leaned into Emma and Emma wrapped her arms around Regina tenderly. "I think he wants us to be together…"

"Every child wants his parents to be together, Regina," Emma assured her.

"Are we going to give him that?" Regina asked, looking back at Emma.

"Yes…but we are going to take our time…" Emma said firmly. Last night had shaken her to the core and even though Regina was more than comforting; Emma couldn't shake the feeling of inadequacy. She wanted to be with Regina more than anything, but she knew she would have to take her time.

"All the time we need," Regina confirmed. She paused before she added, "I would like to take you away though," she said slowly. "Maybe for my birthday…I was thinking the weekend after it, we could go away for the weekend…"

"Who would keep Henry?" Emma asked, already intrigued.

"He loves Crimson, I could ask Mal if he could stay there for a night," Regina suggested nervously.

"He would love that," Emma agreed. "So, for your birthday, huh?" she giggled with giddiness.

"We don't have to if you don't want to," Regina shrugged, but Emma was already bending down to kiss her.

"I would love to go away with you for your birthday, Regina." Two weeks couldn't pass quickly enough.

* * *

Pensacola, Florida

One Week Later

Ruby tried to be quiet, closing the apartment door and locking it behind her, but Dorothy was asleep on the couch. As soon as Ruby made it into the living room, Dorothy began rubbing her eyes and waking up. "Hey," the dark-haired beauty said roughly. Her voice sounded rough and unused, but her eyes were brightened with the sight of her girlfriend. "You're home late."

Ruby didn't want to start an argument, so she only shrugged. "A job ran a little late," was all she offered. She didn't want Dorothy to know that she was still trying to hunt down the monster who had knocked her out nearly three weeks earlier. Dorothy had healed a bit, but in Ruby's opinion, had returned to work far too soon. Dorothy was still having headaches, although less intense, and her memory was still fuzzy to say the least. Still, Dorothy hated the thought of Ruby having to carry the financial load alone, and had pushed herself back to work.

"Oh, well, I'm off for the next three nights," Dorothy informed her girlfriend, hoping this would make Ruby happy. She knew she was pushing herself too hard, so she had agreed to cut back to just forty hours for a few weeks until she felt better. It was now Tuesday night, and Dorothy wouldn't return to until the weekend, although she would pick up her paycheck on Thursday. She only wanted to spend some time with Ruby. "Do you think you can clear your schedule for a couple of days?"

Ruby had been busting her ass for the last couple of weeks; taking investigation jobs that took hours and hours of her time. Although they paid extremely well, she knew that she and Dorothy hadn't been really connected since the accident. She was just happy and relieved that Dorothy wanted to spend some time together. "Yeah, I can do that," Ruby smiled, clicking on the lamp beside the couch. Dorothy squinted, closing her eyes to even the medium amount of light. "Baby," Ruby said quickly, "are you still having headaches?"

"It's not that," Dorothy navigated around the question. "It's just been dark in here for a while," Dorothy laughed.

"Oh," she nodded. She kissed Dorothy's forehead. "I'm gonna take a quick shower, okay?"

"Sure," Dorothy nodded. "Are you hungry? I could make you something while you are in the shower."

"I would love something." It was just after midnight, but she hadn't eaten since probably noon. When she got out of the shower and dressed, she found Dorothy in the kitchen. Fried eggs, bacon, and three pancakes were on the breakfast bar. "Oh my god," Ruby moaned. "That smells heavenly," she moaned. She sat down and began scarfing down the food. Dorothy smiled, placing a glass of orange juice beside Ruby's plate.

"I've been thinking," she began, which made Ruby immediately stop eating. The look in Ruby's beautiful eyes was fright, so Dorothy stopped herself. "There is nothing wrong…not really," she began, realizing that she was scaring her girlfriend. "It's about that night…the one where…"

"Some psycho put his hands on you?" Ruby questioned, pushing her plate aside.

"I think…I think I recognize who it was…"

Ruby sat on the edge of her seat, listening intensely.

"A couple nights ago, some guy named Pan came into the bar asking some of my bartenders about Killian Jones. He was looking for him…and I remember he was there that night…when Killian was at the bar…that night…it's blurry, and I'm not for sure…"

Ruby's jaw tightened, even the name Killian sent a surge of anger through her that was hard to deal with; but to imagine him hitting Dorothy in the head, sent her into a rage. Still, she had to let Dorothy speak; let her get everything out.

"Baby, I'm not for sure," Dorothy said again, "I just know that I wasn't afraid of him…I just tried to dismiss him and …"

Ruby believed her immediately. "And he hit you…"

"I think with a pipe…" Dorothy shifted uncomfortably. She shivered, vaguely remembering the sound of the pipe falling onto the asphalt. "Ruby…he was looking for Emma…." Before she could finish, tears were flushing her eyes and streaming down her face. "I told him she was in DC," she cried, weakly leaning against the counter, until she felt Ruby pull her into her arms.

"You had no other choice!" Ruby said firmly. "That fucking bastard would have probably killed you! Hell, he could have!"

Ruby wasn't sure if she was trembling from anguish, anger or relief that Dorothy was still alive. Killian Jones was more than just a dangerous menace, he was a brute and if this didn't prove it, nothing would! Even worse, Ruby knew that she was the reason that Dorothy even knew Killian Jones! If it wasn't for her knowing Emma, Dorothy would have never met Killian. "Fucking bastard!" she spat again, even though she held Dorothy close. She stepped back and wiped her girlfriend's eyes.

"He could be after her and I'm just remembering," Dorothy said crying in frustration. "I'm so sorry, Ruby…just seeing that guy…everything kinda flooded back…" she tried to explain.

"Dorothy, you were hit in the head; we are lucky you remember anything at all," Ruby said kissing her forehead.

Dorothy tried to pull herself together. Stepping back and wiping the tears from her eyes, Dorothy only nodded. "Ruby you should finish eating…"

"Like I have an appetite now," Ruby shook her head. "I'll clean up the kitchen; go ahead to the bedroom. Thinking about this has to take a lot out of you."

She would argue, but Dorothy knew that Ruby was right. She was exhausted just thinking about this, but completely relieved that Ruby believed her and wasn't irate that she had given Emma's location away.

Once Dorothy had disappeared down the hallway, Ruby found her phone and dialed Emma's number quickly. It was late, so Ruby wasn't surprised when she got the voicemail, instead of Emma on the line. She left an urgent message telling Emma to call her as soon as she got the message. Then Ruby cleaned up the kitchen and went into the bedroom. Dorothy's somber eyes followed her to the bed.

"Are you sure you aren't upset with me, Ruby?" Dorothy questioned once Ruby was in the bed.

"What…what are you talking about? Why would I be upset with you?" Ruby said with clear confusion.

"You are all the way across the bed, Ruby," Dorothy noted, feeling the gulf between them.

Ruby quickly bridged the gulf. "Do you know how much I love you?" she questioned, her voice trembling. "I almost lost you, because of someone you met because of me…" Ruby could feel herself tearing up. "If I ever track him down, I'll kill him," she said soberly.

Dorothy kissed her soundly, "Don't say that," she said hugging Ruby close now. She closed her eyes and fell to sleep soundly for the first time in weeks. She didn't even realize that her girlfriend was deathly serious.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry that it has been so long since the last update. I will try to get back on track this month! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and I am currently working on the next. Please feel free to comment and review! Here's to getting back on track :)

Chapter Twelve

"We don't have to go," Regina said looking over her glasses diplomatically. She reached for the glass of wine that was on the nightstand and almost toppled it over. Growling with frustration, she removed her glasses and blinked her eyes. "We don't have to go," she repeated.

Emma drained the rest of her beer and sighed. "We both know that's not true," she sat on the end of the bed and groaned also. "We don't have to stay long though…right?"

Regina managed to handle the glass this time, and took a long luxurious gulp. Henry was asleep, although he was completely beaming about his birthday party on Saturday. It wasn't going to be a large event, but Regina had rented the community center and invited all the kids from the neighborhood, and Crimson and Sierra at Henry's request. The girls were being good sports and had agreed to attend, but Regina wasn't sure about the other kids. Henry was new, she hadn't met any of the parents really and even more, it was Memorial Day weekend and a lot of people would be on vacations.

But right now, she was dealing with a more befuddling issue; the unexplainable tension between Emma and Kathryn. "We don't have to go…"

"It is essentially your birthday party," Emma sighed.

"It's a Memorial Day Weekend party," Regina corrected her.

"A party she moved just so you can attend…"

Regina rubbed her temple with some force. "What do you want me to say, Emma? I want to go, I always go, but if you don't want to go…"

"We'll go," Emma said moving higher on the bed now. She settled beside Regina and lay on her back, looking up at the ceiling. "What should I wear? Tee shirts and jeans would seem inappropriate…"

"I love you in anything." It was a half admission, but a powerful one, no matter. Emma had been wracking her brain as of late, about the amount of care Regina had been taking with her words. Never giving too much away, Regina had made it her mission to steer away from the words, love, commitment and anything that gave the idea of permeance. Whether it was on purpose or not, it was driving Emma completely nuts. "How about a black dress…something cool, minimum…"

Emma didn't respond, lost in her own mounting thoughts.

"Something black…." Regina tried again. This time her words were met with the look of cognizance. "Something cool and light," she tried again.

Emma shook her head. "I don't have anything like that; and buying dresses are not in the budget."

Regina looked at her blankly. "I think we can afford a dress, Emma," she frowned.

Emma turned onto her side. "Regina, I don't have the money," she said again.

Regina bent down and kissed her forehead. "Allow me to buy you a dress, Emma," she requested gently. "Something I can take off with my teeth, preferably." When Emma finally smiled at the proposal, Regina continued her kisses until she found Emma's lips. Hoovering over Emma, Regina took her time to explore Emma's lips. "You are beautiful," she whispered quietly. "I've missed you all day..."

"I've missed you too," Emma sighed. "Wednesdays and Thursdays are hard…"

Regina continued to kiss her through her next question. "Why is that?"

Emma sat up some, causing Regina to move from over her. "It's difficult to explain," Emma shrugged, "I guess it's because I know Fridays and Saturdays I can stay with you and it won't look suspicious."

"It won't look suspicious if we just tell Henry the truth," Regina suggested again.

They had been caught nearly ten times in the last week. Various states of touching, almost kissing and just being "parents weird" had given Henry the suspicious that something was going on between his moms. He had asked them both, with varying levels of answers, but didn't seem worried or bothered that his mothers were getting closer.

Regina said, quite frankly. "Everyone knows Emma…besides Henry; who knows too…"

"You're right," Emma couldn't fight that fact. She rolled to the edge of Regina's bed and sat up. "Tomorrow…at dinner, we can explain it to him?"

Regina kissed her shoulder, and fell back onto the bed. "And then you can start spending your nights in my bed?"

"And vice versa," Emma challenged playfully. "But that's going to take some time too…for us all to get used to it."

Regina sat up and looked at Emma slowly. "I want to ask you something and I don't want you to get angry," Regina prompted. Emma stiffened, automatically and knew this would be about Killian.

"Henry was a lot younger," Emma explained, not even needing to hear the question. She had lived in one room space with Henry and Killian, but this situation was wholly different in her mind.

"He thought of Killian as his father…"

"No…" Emma said weakly.

Regina ignored Emma's protest and continued. "If you can sleep beside a man around Henry, but with me…" Regina lost her words; both anger and frustration rising in her, "you diminish us, Emma…" she explained imply.

Emma thought about it long before saying anything. Regina wasn't saying this to be hurtful; to use her past mistakes against her, but Regina felt rightly upset. Eventually, she lay back down. "I'm proud of us, Regina. You and I; I'm proud of us being together, I'm proud of myself when I'm with you. I'm happy when I'm with you…it was different when I was with Killian. I was in survival mode and that's no excuse, but me wanting THIS right, isn't to condemn our relationship."

Regina listened openly, strangely feeling her anger dissipate. It hurt her, not necessarily the actions that Emma had taken four years ago; but to hear that she had been living her life in survival mode again, as she had when she was a child and through her teenage years. Regina vowed she would never have to feel that way again, and it obviously began with not making her feel like shit, or the need to run, because of her past decisions. "I'm sorry I said that," Regina offered, pulling Emma closer. It was nearly eleven, the time when Emma usually left when Henry spent the night in Regina's home.

"Don't be sorry," Emma said nestling against Regina's breast. "We have to say what we are feeling. We have to be honest with one another," she offered, looking up at the woman she loved. "Just don't give up on me…okay?"

"Never," Regina promised, stroking Emma's hair. "We'll talk to Henry tomorrow…together. And you'll pick up something amazing for Kathryn's party on Friday, so we can stay for an hour and then I can peel you out of it," she smiled easily. It was a few minutes before she realized that Emma had already fallen asleep. Kissing her temple, she held her closer. She would wake her up before Henry was up and about, but right now, she just wanted to hold the woman she loved more than anything in the world.

* * *

"Do you understand, baby?" Regina asked, rubbing her son's chestnut brown hair. He was sitting in her lap, looking at Emma with big eyes, not really saying anything; which was different for Henry. He looked up at Regina, and then back at Emma.

"But Mommy doesn't live with us…" he said, his voice trembling. Everything he knew about relationships, which totaled seeing Emma with Killian and Ruby with Dorothy, meant that people lived together. "Mommy did live with us, but not now….so you don't love her…"

"I love Mommy very much," Regina explained, slowly. "But she likes her apartment; but that doesn't mean we don't love each other. And sometimes Mommy can stay here with us…"

"And you stay with us at home?" Henry said looking back at Regina.

She kissed his head. "Of course," she kissed him again.

He slid off of her lap. "Okay," he said. "Cameron wants to play cars…can I go play cars with Cameron?" Cameron lived next door and was the first boy who had come to ask Henry to play weeks earlier. He would be leaving tomorrow for vacation with his parents, but he was becoming a staple of Henry's life when he was at Regina's.

"Yeah, I'll walk you over, kid," Emma said offering her hand. Cameron was outside, in the garden with his father and two younger twin sisters. His mother waved from the kitchen window and Emma waved back.

"He can stay for dinner," Cameron's father said. "We feel badly that we'll missed his birthday party. Do you think you and your wife could join us for dinner, and then Henry could spend the night? Cameron has been asking for days now…"

"Regina is…" she had meant to say not her wife, but the words alluded her. "I'll go back and ask…" was what she settled on. When Emma returned, Regina was still sitting in her same position on the couch, yet now she strolled through the channels on the television.

"Why do we have cable?" she asked, watching Emma enter through the patio door.

"Cameron's mother and father want to know if we can join them for dinner tonight and if Henry can stay? They think we're married…"

Regina frowned at the television. "I won't have to cook then," she said as Emma sat beside her. "And if Henry wants to stay, that's fine with me."

"And the fact that they think we're married?"

"I can't change public perception," she tried to tuck away her smile. "I wonder what they'll cook," she laughed.

"It doesn't bother you that they think we're married?" Emma questioned.

Regina laughed at the question. "What do you think the answer to that is, Emma?" When Emma made no move to reply, she continued laughing. "Zelena is sending me a plane for next weekend…"

Emma placed her head on Regina's shoulder. "What does that mean?"

"We should fly somewhere…Chicago or Connecticut …somewhere nice in the summertime."

"Connecticut sounds nice…peaceful for a weekend…"

"Connecticut, it is…" Regina kissed her girlfriend softly. "Now, come on…we have to go to dinner."

Much to Emma's amusement, Regina never corrected their neighbors' assumptions that night, and it was something to behold how easily they all got along with one another. Too bad that feeling was missing now on Friday night as Regina easily ushered Emma into the foyer of Kathryn's home. It was impressive, her home, the three-story classic brick home in Fairfax, Virginia. Kathryn enjoyed the allusion of a 'lived-in' home, but it was too clean, too sterile to actually be true. She had hired caterers and bartenders and waiters and twenty-five people floated through the rooms of her house.

"This feels more like a business gathering," Emma whispered to Regina. She felt uncomfortable in her dress; the black silhouette that held nothing to the imagination. It was for Regina; no one else even seemed to notice that she was there, but Regina stayed glued to her, passively engaged with everyone else in the room. "She's becoming angry…" Emma said finding Kathryn in the crowd. She had been watching Emma and Regina intensely.

Regina pulled Emma closer, intimately and smiled. "She's happy we came."

"Happy you came," Emma corrected her girlfriend. She felt Regina's hand on her the smalls of her back and tried to prepare herself for the shiver that always came.

"We could get out of here now," Regina's eyes roved Emma mercilessly. The black dress was perfect, because it was so unadulterated. Emma never needed anything special; blonde hair, clear blue eyes, innocence flowing just underneath her tough exterior. "It would be improper to say that I want to fuck you, right here…. right now," Regina admitted, "but…you…are…gorgeous."

Emma blushed. "Mingle with your friends…you have me always…"

Regina searched her eyes; slowly, patiently. "Is that the truth?"

Before Emma could answer, Kathryn was there, whisking Regina away. There was dinner, perfect steaks with appetizers and immaculately prepared side dishes. Wines and cocktails flowed and all the leaders worth knowing in business floated around and still, Kathryn couldn't bring Regina's attention away from Emma.

"You're during it again," Kathryn scowled, having her wine glass topped off. It was after dinner, after the birthday cake and now, when Emma was talking to Mal, Kathryn finally cornered her best friend. "You and she are toxic…"

"About as toxic as you and he," Regina's eyes followed David, who had managed to invite his "assistant" Mary Margaret. "This game is never played for fun," Regina dared.

"You two are fucking again…"

"Does your husband fuck you at all?"

Kathryn gritted her teeth, chiding herself for starting this fight. "I had to pick up the pieces; actually, Mal and Ursula and I …we picked up the pieces."

Regina drained the remains of her wine. "How easy is it for you not to love your husband, Kathryn?"

"I do love my husband…"

"Exactly," Regina's words lingered. She didn't need to confirm that David was likely burning the candle at both ends, metaphorically speaking, but Kathryn got the gist immediately. She folded her arms and sighed. Regina relented a bit. "I don't want there to be things we can't talk about, Kathryn. There have never been secrets between us; so instead of you having to ask or assume, I'll tell you. I love her, Kathryn. I'm not trying to fight it or escape it. So, like I accept you and David; I'll expect the same…"

"Noted," Kathryn nodded easily. They had just needed to clear the air, and now Kathryn would respect Regina's wishes above all else.

"You chose a beautiful birthday cake," Regina complimented her friend. "And it was delicious." Kathryn beamed and it started an easy conversation between the two of them. "You are coming tomorrow, correct?"

"Of course!" Kathryn beamed. "I bought him something called "NERF" balls…they are squishy."

Regina hugged Kathryn tightly. "You're a great aunt, Kathryn," she said softly. "He'll love it. Anything that's throwable or makes lots of noise…"

"That was the criteria I used," Kathryn laughed. One of the caterers was beckoning her over. "You'll have to excuse me," she sighed.

"A host's work is never done," Regina laughed.

Kathryn paused and turned around, "I won't be surprised if you sneak away while I'm gone."

"You know me well," Regina admitted. She and Emma stayed another twenty minutes, before quietly leaving the party.

"It was nice," Emma said, yawning, although she wasn't really sleepy.

"I'm glad you didn't hate it," Regina noted. "I was worried for a while."

"About me?" Emma felt oddly honored. "I'm fine…I'm good," she promised Regina. They were home now, and after checking on both Henry and Crimson, who were both asleep, Regina was pouring them both a glass of wine. "I didn't have a bad time."

"That's because you didn't talk to Kathryn," Regina said knowingly, taking a sip of her wine. "We had a brief conversation," Regina admitted.

"She's not happy about us," Emma said knowingly.

"It's really none of her business," Regina assured Emma. "Let's go upstairs and take a nice hot shower," Regina offered. She was horny, honestly, and just seeing Emma's soapy, hot body, would relieve some of the tension building in her body. She had resigned herself to be patient and understanding with Emma, but truth be told, she wanted the woman so much it hurt.

Emma wasn't ready to agree to a shower right now. "Regina, she's your best friend…I know you care what she thinks and feels about who you are dating."

Regina finished her glass of wine and shook her head; noticing instinctively that the younger woman had changed the subject from the shower. "That's where you are wrong," she said frankly. "I do not care what anyone thinks about us; and that includes Kathryn." After a moment of pause, Regina questioned Emma, "Why haven't you ever told me exactly how fraught you and Kathryn's communications have been?"

"You wouldn't have reacted well," Emma said seriously.

"You are damn right I wouldn't have," Regina said firmly. "Why do you assume you shouldn't be a priority for me, Emma?" she asked bluntly.

Emma had no answer, and instead, downed the rest of her wine. "You said something about a shower…" she said a bit nervously, instead of excitedly.

"We are talking about something important, Emma," Regina said blandly.

Emma moved off of her seat and in front of Regina. "I know that," she said softly. She leaned down to kiss Regina and was happy when she met no resistance. "We are having a good night; let's continue to have a good night."

"This isn't going to impede our good night," Regina said softly, managing to steal another kiss. "But you must understand, Emma, if someone is making you uncomfortable…"

"She doesn't exactly make me uncomfortable," Emma tried to conceal.

"I've seen you tense up when I even mention Kathryn," Regina said sliding off of her seat and around Emma. "Emma, don't lie to me…"

"Okay," Emma sighed heavily. "Kathryn is overprotective of you and I just have to live with that," Emma said reaching out and stopping Regina. Regina stopped and settled into Emma's arms. "I've never wanted to get between the two of you because you've been friends for so long; but no, Kathryn and I are likely never to be friends."

Regina kissed Emma slowly, thoroughly and pulled her into a hug. "You two don't have to be friends; but she will never disrespect you and our relationship," she said firmly. "And that's what I told her tonight. And if there are ever any other problems," she continued, "I would like to know, baby."

Emma softened to the name and nodded her understanding. She allowed Regina to kiss her again fully before sighing. "I'm so tired, Regina. Your friends take everything out of me…"

"Unfortunately, I know the feeling," Regina agreed. "And tomorrow, we have to get up very earlier, because our son is turning four."

It was later, after they had settled into bed that Regina laughed. "He's such a great child, Emma. I feel like I should thank you for that…"

Emma turned onto her side and looked at Regina. "You don't have to thank me for anything, Regina," she said earnestly. "He's an amazing child, because you are amazing and wonderful mother. You can just see how happy he is when you are around. He's finally getting the family he deserves, Regina, and that's all because of you."

Regina moved closer and wrapped her arms around Emma. She kissed the side of Emma's neck. "I'm pretty sure it's all because of you," Regina countered, but Emma had already begun to doze off. She murmured something incoherent, which made Regina smile. She hadn't remembered being this happy in years.

* * *

Nearly fifteen tiny humans showed up to Henry's birthday party, and the excitement and energy that radiated from him made it completely worth the hassle most of the day ended up being. This was all new to his moms. Accounting for children's allergies and odd habits, and screaming and entertainment and food was all pretty overwhelming; but it seemed to be coming together. By five that evening, both Emma and Regina were thoroughly exhausted, which was the perfect time for Mal to show up. Crimson had been helping all day and was slowly throwing in the towel; her endurance drained by fifteen four, five and six-year-olds.

"She's very helpful," Mal laughed, watching her youngest daughter try to organize a kickball game.

"She's been wonderful, Mal…really," Regina agreed. "This would be a whole lot less successful if she hadn't helped. She picked out most of the food…. well she picked out the kids' caterer… why are there such things as kids' caterers?"

"Because this shit is HARD and kids have a lot of different taste and needs; but if you can write a check, you can get that look on your kid's face," Mal said pointing to Henry, who was beaming at the moment. Crimson was teaching them all how to kick and play the game, and Henry was up first. "Now, isn't watching him more important than setting up food and drinks …especially if you can afford to pay someone else to do it? Plus, kids are only going to eat cake and ice cream…especially on a beautiful day like this," Mal said, finally sitting on an empty picnic table under the pavilion.

"Sometimes I can't believe he is mine," Regina admitted in total awe of her son in the distance.

"Regina, he looks just like you…you can believe he's yours," Mal smiled.

"Well Crimson acts just like you …so …"

"That's what Ursula says too," Mal said.

"Have you talked to her?" Regina knew it was a sore subject, but had to ask anyways. Ursula had left for six weeks to help some of her artists on tour, much to Mal's ultimate aggravation.

"Every day…several times a day," Mal said bitterly. "One week down and I'm fucking miserable. I want my wife's body beside me."

Regina's eyes searched the park and settled on Emma. "It is different when they are sleeping beside you, isn't it?"

"Seems like you know from experience," Mal noted. Regina tried not to smile, thinking about the delicious warmth she felt waking up to Emma this morning. "So, you are going to marry her soon, aren't you?" Mal asked bluntly.

"We aren't there, Mal," Regina said seriously.

"Maybe she's not; but you…"

"It only matters that she's not," Regina shrugged. She glanced over at Mal, "this doesn't get easier, does it?"

Mal genuinely laughed for the first time in seven days. "Why would it, sweetheart? Why would it?" Mal questioned.

"Regina! Regina…come here," Emma beckoned from across the field.

"I'm being summoned…I think the photographer is here," Regina smiled. "You're staying for cake, right?"

"I'm staying just long enough to get my child in the car," Mal warned, but Regina was already closing in on Emma.

"The photographer is here," Emma bounced closer to Regina when she stopped near her. "Regina, this is the greatest day ever. He is so happy! And so excited!" Emma kissed Regina quickly, before turning back to the game that Henry was playing in.

"Have any of the kids been in the food tent?" Regina question. The 'kiddie caterer' had set up a separate enclosed tent for all of the food, snacks and drinks."

"They run in and out with pizza and gummi bears and drinks…they are having a blast, Regina," Emma said hugging Regina. "And you've made it so we don't have to clean up or do anything, just enjoy."

"What's the point of having money if we can't do nice things," Regina said absently, watching Henry's turn to kick the ball and run the bases. When he had rounded the bases, he ran towards his moms.

Out of breath, flushed and full of energy, Henry hopped into Emma's arms. "Can I have cake now, Mom?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her neck.

Emma turned to look at Regina, who was holding back tears. "Yes, let's have cake now," Emma agreed easily. She let Henry down to round up all the kids, and took Regina's hand. "Come on," she whispered, "let's get ice cream and cake before you cry," she teased, kissing Regina's cheek and led her to the tent.

The kids poured into the tent a short while after, and Henry took his spot in front of the large green Ninja Turtle cake. Out of the corner of her eye, Regina could see Kathryn trying to enter the tent as quietly as possible. The kids were blocking the entrance, but she managed to squeeze through with Henry's gift under her arm.

"Mom," Henry said looking at Regina, "can I blow them out now?" he asked about the big number four at the center of the cake and the candles lined around it.

Regina, still trying to hold back tears, only nodded and her son went about blowing on the cake. The kids cheered and the employees of the catering company began slicing the cake into large square pieces. "I'm sorry I'm late. The contract negotiations with Sherman Incorporated went a lot longer than I expected."

"No," Regina said hugging her best friend. "This is perfect timing. You can have some overly sweet cake and he's just about to open his presents." Regina and Kathryn got a piece of cake and watched as Henry tore into gift after gift. "I've never seen anyone have this much fun," Regina grinned.

"I think my daughter has had all that she can take," Mal announced, polishing off a piece of the green cake. She had stayed for cake, only because Crimson insisted. "She got hit in the lower pelvic region with some brat and lightsaber type thing. It could have been a real nightmare if she had nuts…"

"Apologize to Crimson for me," Regina stifled her smile.

"She will be fine…" Mal said kissing her cheek. "And next weekend is fine. We don't have anything planned…all the girls will be in so he'll be plenty entertained."

"What's next weekend?" Kathryn questioned after Mal exited the tent.

"Emma and I are going away," Regina said easily. "Connecticut maybe…my sister is sending a plane."

"You should take her to your home in Maine," Kathryn suggested. "It's absolutely beautiful this time of year."

"I actually hadn't thought of that," Regina admitted, frowning. "I could have the staff prepare the home. I haven't been there myself in forever…sometime I forget why I purchase that house."

"It was a great investment," Kathryn said levelly.

Regina only smiled. Kathryn, forever pragmatic and level-headed, watched as Henry opened her gift. "It shoots balls, Mom!" Henry held it up to show to Regina and then Emma.

"That'll be fun, kid," Emma smiled.

"Can we go back outside?" Henry asked, finished with his last gift to be opened.

"Sure, kid," Emma encouraged. She finally made her way over to Regina and Kathryn. "He's having a blast," she said, keeping somewhat of a distance from Regina.

Regina narrowed her eyes, but said nothing. "He does appear to be having an awesome day," she agreed.

"So, does the company clean up everything too?" Kathryn questioned.

"Yes," Regina and Emma said in unison, and couldn't help, but laugh at the synchronicity.

They didn't realize how grateful they were at the fact that everything was cleaned up for them until they finally reached bed sometime after ten that night. Henry had an amazing amount of energy for someone who had been awake and running around all day, therefore, he didn't fall asleep until nearly nine. Emma had fallen asleep sometime after him, and although Regina was tired herself, she had only slept about thirty or forty minutes when she finally went to sleep.

She tossed and turned for a while, before giving up and taking her laptop to the living room. She worked through her emails diligently, trying to figure out why she couldn't sleep even though she was tired beyond belief. She worked until nearly three, before she finally fell asleep on the couch.

* * *

Four Days Later

"She's been different Ruby," Emma didn't want to sound like she was complaining, but since Henry's birthday party, Regina had been distant to say the least. They hadn't even slept in the same bed for the last couple of nights, and although Emma had been the one pushing separate living spaces, now she was utterly tired with being away from Regina. "I've had Henry since Monday, because she's been working so damn much…"

"Emma, did you tell her about Killian?"

Emma sighed in frustration. "Are you listening to me, at all?" she asked tersely. She didn't want to talk about Killian Jones; as far as she was concerned, he was a nonfactor in her life right now. Instead, she wanted to talk about how Regina had suddenly gone cold on her after they had shared, what she considered to be one of the best days ever of co-parenting. Henry's birthday party was light and fun and perfectly planned out. The kids from the community had a great time and Henry had a blast that he still hadn't stopped talking about it. "I'm so confused…"

Ruby let out a noisy breath. "You do realize that if Killian Jones hurt my girlfriend, he is now looking for you, right?" Emma had ignored this far too long; and even though Emma seemed convinced that ignoring this was the right thing to do, Ruby did not share her feelings. Really, what she wanted to do was hunt down the little bastard and beat him over the head with various objects. The only person keeping her from doing just that was Dorothy. She was level-headed enough to just want this to go away; but Ruby couldn't let this just go away.

"Killian is not looking for anyone!" Emma said firmly in her anger. "He doesn't have a dime to his name and he is a part of my past!"

"Don't be an idiot Emma…"

"Listen Ruby," Emma said ready to hang up, "I'm so sorry about what happened to Dorothy, and I'm sure she thinks Killian has something to do with this, because it's easier that way…but I can promise that he has nothing to do with this…"

"Why would she lie!" Ruby questioned defensively.

"I didn't say lie…she took a pretty nasty hit to the head…she's likely mistaken."

"Are you fucking serious?" Ruby barked. "It wasn't enough that you'd put that bastard above all when you were dating, but even now, when you are free of him, you still defend him? I was just giving you the heads up…because I'm going to find him and I swear, I'm going to leave him with more than a headache and a little forgetfulness." Ruby hung up in a fury.

Emma tossed her phone aside and lay back on her bed unhappily. It was just past ten and she had only talked to Regina once today, sometime during lunch. She had been buried in work, which wasn't anything new, but all through their conversation she had been wholly distracted. She promised to call back, but Emma figured she had just lost track of time. When Regina got into a working zone, she rarely came out until she had completed whatever she was working on. And it didn't matter; soon, two days really, she and Regina would be in Maine for a three-day weekend and that would make everything better. Emma decided she would make it special; super special! Even though Regina's birthday was yesterday and she had worked straight through, she decided that this three-day weekend would be something special; no matter what.

She picked up her phone and dialed Regina's number quickly. It took a few moments, but the voice she always craved to hear picked up. "Hello, sweetheart," Regina sounded happy to hear her, but tired, nevertheless. "I know I was supposed to call, but…"

"Don't worry about it," Emma cooed. "You sound tired."

"I had to take the train into Philadelphia on an emergency conference with one of my marketers. And even though I didn't want to, I came back tonight so I could push a meeting in the morning and pack in the afternoon."

"Where are you now?"

"I just entered the house, I'm headed to the bathroom for a nice long bath, dinner and maybe two hours of sleep before I'm back up."

"I hate when you work this hard," Emma mused.

"I know, but for three days..."

"For three entire days," Emma said becoming happy. "So Mal is sure she is fine with keeping Henry?"

"Of course," Regina laughed. "She's excited; her kids aren't kids anymore and Henry really loves Crimson. They will be fine for three days."

"Good," Emma said. She became quiet enough for Regina to question her silence. "Nothing is wrong per say…Ruby and I just got into a tiny spat."

"About?" Regina's voice changed to concern automatically.

"Nothing important. She's on edge…I've been worried about you… we tend to clash when we feel like that," she admitted.

"Well, you don't have to worry about me…"

"Are you sure?" Emma cut in. "Because since Henry's party, you've felt distant."

Regina didn't try to deny the fact or skirt the issue. "I don't know what it is honestly, Emma. I've been tired and a little behind at work, but it's not that. Something just feels off…like I'm missing something about us," she admitted somberly. "Don't get me wrong; I'm looking forward to be away with you this weekend…I can't wait."

"I can't wait either, Regina. And we'll get a chance to talk; really talk this weekend."

"One more day, sweetheart," Regina said, weariness coloring her voice.

"Okay, Regina," Emma said quickly. "You sound exhausted; so please go to bed soon and get some sleep. I love you, Regina."

"I know baby, and I will. I'll call you and Henry tomorrow morning. And tomorrow night, I'll be home early enough to spend the night at the apartment. If that's okay with you."

"Of course, that sounds wonderful. We've missed you so much."

Emma could hear a smile light up Regina's voice. "Until tomorrow then. Good night, Emma."

"Goodnight Regina,"

Emma felt better when she finally went off to sleep and the next day she was almost as excited as Henry when they finally saw Regina. She made it over at five, just in time to help with dinner, and Henry would barely let his mom out of his sight the entire time he was awake.

"Are you staying?" he continuously questioned.

"Yes, sweetheart," Regina would assure him, brushing his chestnut brown hair back and kissing his forehead.

"You were gone," Henry voiced his frustration. He wrapped his arms around Regina's neck and held on tightly. After dinner, he begged his moms to watch a movie with him until he finally fell asleep.

"Some weeks are hard and suck," Regina said later to Emma, after they had taken Henry up to bed and were now enjoying a glass of wine together. "I know I have to do better, Emma."

"Don't beat yourself up, baby," Emma said moving closer to Regina on the couch. "We can figure this out together."

"I know…I just feel so badly when I'm not around him daily. When I'm not around you daily…"

"Well, we both know that we can't see each other every day," Emma said honestly. "But when we are together, Regina, we have such a great time."

"And that's enough for you?" Regina questioned, her eyes searching Emma's.

"What more can I ask for?" Emma asked playful. She stole a kiss, tasting the wine on Regina's lip and automatically feeling giddier.

Regina smiled tightly; not willing to say that she wanted more. That's what was likely keeping her up at night. She wanted Emma Swan and her son completely; not staying at her house some night and Emma's apartment other nights. But she wasn't willing to push the issue yet. "Would you be upset if we got completely naked…" Regina said with a small pause, "and fell asleep in each other's arms?"

"I would not at all be opposed to that," Emma said smiling and kissing Regina again.

Once they had settled into bed, Emma questioned again. "So, you aren't working tomorrow?"

"I'm packing tomorrow and spending the day with Henry," she assured Emma.

"And sleeping in…" Emma said kissing Regina's shoulder blade.

"I'll see…" Regina laughed. "I'll try to sleep until at least eight…"

"Nine," Emma said kissing her neck playfully.

"Eight-thirty," Regina said turning to face Emma.

"Eight forty-five," Emma pulled Regina's bottom lip into her mouth. She kissed her soundly, then slowly with as much passion as she could muster. "Nine would be best though," she smiled at Regina's breathlessness.

"Nine…huh," Regina finally opened her eyes. "I think I could manage nine…"

"Great," Emma said brushing her fingertips over her girlfriend's nipple. The sigh of relief told her everything she needed to know.

"Sometimes," Regina started, beginning to lose the rhythm of her breath, "sometime I'd like to sleep all day, but the chance never arises."

Emma's hand ventured lowered, brushing Regina's inner thigh. "We should set aside a day this weekend for just sleep," she found Regina soft, but wet.

"I've set aside a day to do something, but it's definitely not sleeping," Regina promised right before capturing Emma's lips again. She didn't want to up the passion, because she knew her eyes would close at any moment. "Remember, you promised me an entire day," Regina said before laying on her back.

"An entire day of what?" Emma questioned, laughing just a bit, but she received no answer, because Regina was already asleep.

* * *

Friday Afternoon

Lily looked at her little sister with open curiosity. Crimson was never quiet, especially not after an afternoon of shopping. Lily was going to be home for the next week or so, and she had offered to take Crimson, Sierra and Regina's son, Henry, to the mall for some retail therapy. They all had enjoyed themselves, but since they had left the mall, Crimson was acting strangely.

"Hey Crimson," Lily said kneeling on the couch beside where her little sister was curled up. "What's the matter?"

Crimson looked at Lily and shook her head quickly. "Nothing," she said quickly, which gave Lily her first real clue that something was wrong.

"Come on…tell me what's wrong," Lily pried gently.

Crimson sat up fully on the couch and pulled her knees to her chest. "At the mall today," she began to open up to her sister. "There was this guy…" she started, but paused when she saw her sister's eyes narrowing. "Maybe it was nothing…"

"Hey…tell me what happened…" Lily said gently.

Her sister's voice was low and shaky, but Crimson recounted going into a clothing store while Lily and Henry had been in Build-A-Bear and how a strange guy had approached her. She had tried to ignore him and get away from him, but when he mentioned something about the little boy who was with her earlier, she stopped and confronted him. He had made a couple comments about the clothes she was thinking about buying, but mostly, he wanted to know about Henry, and when that didn't work, he funneled his energy into making passes at her. She had told a security guard in the store, and the man quickly disappeared, but Crimson couldn't shake her uncomfortable feeling.

"Did you see him anymore?" Lily questioned, her eyes looking much like Mal's when she was upset.

"No…I didn't," Crimson said. "I kept looking for him, but…" Crimson felt her chest tighten for no reason. She was nervous and upset and confused, but she knew something wasn't right.

"What did he look like?"

"I don't know…white dude, mid to late thirties probably…dark hair, dark eyes…umm…he was missing a hand…" Crimson stammered.

"Missing a hand?" Lily made sure she heard her sister correctly. Crimson nodded. "We should talk to Mom about this…"

"Mom will never let me go outside if we talk to her about this," Crimson whined. She was just getting to the point now where Mal and Ursula let her do some things alone, if they thought she would be harassed by dirt bags in the mall, she would be under their thumb forever. "Please, can we just let this go?"

Lily pulled her little sister into a hug. "Sweetheart, you are trembling and you've obviously been frightened into silence. There is no letting this go," Lily said firmly. "We have to tell mom…"

"Can we at least tell her after Henry is gone?" Crimson suggested. "I'd like to try to enjoy myself at least for this weekend."

Lily kissed Crimson's forehead. "You didn't do anything wrong," Lily reminded her. "But I know mom, and I get your point. We'll talk to her after Henry leaves," Lily agreed. She couldn't imagine how bad of a decision that would prove to be.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Friday Evening

Regina grimaced gently, watching Emma try to gain her equilibrium through the picture glass windows of tiny airfield terminal. The flight hadn't been all that turbulent, but Emma wasn't accustomed to flying on private jets, and there is always a bit of an adjustment when flying was involved. "Ms. Mills, your Jeep is ready." The small man behind the counter offered Regina the keys to her rented vehicle. Regina nodded her thanks and headed out of the small depot.

"Are you feeling better?" Regina asked, coming over to her couching girlfriend.

"The air is helping," Emma said looking up at Regina, and offering a smile. "It was just…."

"Different?" Regina frowned. "I'm sorry; I didn't even think about the difference in flying private." Regina didn't want to sound like an elitist, but her words couldn't escape her. She closed her eyes miserably; this was not how their opening day together, alone, was supposed to turn out. Emma was shaky and had a massive headache from the flight, and now she was sounding like an ass.

Emma stood upright and laughed. "It's fine," she assured Regina. "It just took a minute to regain my footing. I'm pretty sure I'm good now…"

"Good enough to ride, or drive for that matter? We are about fifty miles from the house," Regina explained.

"I can ride…or drive," Emma nodded. "What are we driving?"

Regina looked over her shoulder at the black Jeep Rubicon behind them. "It's all they have really…"

Emma's eyes widened with anticipation. "Oh…that will definitely work. I've always wanted a Jeep," she whispered, as if it were a secret. She and Regina were headed toward the vehicle now, their bags being carried for them, and Regina readily handed over the keys.

"Then it's all you for this weekend," Regina agreed gladly. She hated driving, especially on the winding backroads of Maine. It was a beautiful part of the country, yet driving gave Regina anxiety. She had always appreciated the fact that Emma loved to drive.

"Wow," Emma sighed, settling into the rugged leather seats of the Jeep. "This is absolutely amazing," her smile widened as she caressed the leather. Regina noted in her mind how much Emma liked the Jeep, but said nothing. "Which direction are we headed?" she asked after getting settled in.

"We are going north," Regina said, beginning to punch in the directions on the GPS.

Emma nodded and navigated the Jeep into the road. "I never thought you would have bought a house in Maine," Emma admitted, taking in the scenery. It was serene, Emma decided, and a lot greener than Emma would have expected. Not many houses, not many stores, but beautiful, green and serene. "It's beautiful here," she commented.

"Yeah, it is," Regina agreed. "I've always liked the quiet and peacefulness of Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island…"

"So, you were seeking peacefulness?" Emma pried a bit.

Regina shrugged. "I guess…" but she stopped herself. "Probably not…I bought it three years ago. Kathryn suggested I needed a vacation, and I, like a fool, decided to visit my mother in Connecticut. After two days with her, I needed space and a long drive…"

"You hate driving," Emma said knowingly.

Regina looked at her, narrowing her eyes in that gaze that said, _'you know me too well,'_ but continued on with her story. "I started driving and ended up in a place called Storybrooke. The first night I stayed in a little bed and breakfast, but on the second day, I explored the town. I found this amazing little diner and after I had breakfast, I walked around the town more. Well, just outside of the town, there was this beautiful home that was a bit rundown, but up for auction. I couldn't deny myself it, and ended up purchasing it before the auction."

Emma glanced at the navigation before looking at Regina. "Why did you need peacefulness?"

"My mother," Regina answered dryly.

"Why did you even go to see her?" Emma knew Cora, having encountered her no less than five times in the years she dated Regina, and not one time did Cora even bother to remember her name. Cora's distain was apparent, and she made no qualms about it. Her daughter deserved better than a "junkyard street kid," and even worse, Emma was a girl and that was wholly unacceptable in Cora's eyes.

Regina adjusted herself and leaned back against the headrest. "I had just lost the love of my life…I sought solace in my childhood home…I just happened to have forgotten that my mother was still there and that she would cause twice the agony as what I was already experiencing," Regina shook her head. "But that is to be expected with my mother," Regina added, seeing how quiet Emma had become. "And, that's in the past, sweetheart," she squeezed Emma's knee gently. "I do think you'll like this house though. It is fully restored to its previous glory and the land is absolutely beautiful."

Emma placed her hand on top of Regina's and threaded their fingers. "I'm sure I will," she tried to sound happy. It wasn't lost on her that Regina had come to Maine obviously after she had disappeared, and although they had never fully talked about it, Emma could only imagine the pain she had caused the woman. "Plus, I like the idea of somewhere to go to get away from the city."

"Me too," Regina agreed wholeheartedly. "Winters up here are a bit treacherous, but the spring is absolutely gorgeous and there is so much to do!" The navigation spat out a direction and Emma followed. They had only made it about ten miles and now they were headed on a more scenic route of their journey. "It's a straight shot from here."

"It's beautiful here," Emma said looking at their surroundings. "I'm so happy to be here with you, Regina." Emma lifted Regina's hand, turned it over and kissed her wrist. Regina shuddered, shifted in her seat and allowed her eyes to rack over Emma. The younger woman's color had returned fully and she seemed utterly excited to be away with Regina. Regina took a deep breath, trying to tamper her expectation of what this weekend would be. She had told herself that if Emma wasn't ready to fully engage in sex with her, that was fine; it was just nice to go away for a while. Still, Regina couldn't ignore the feeling that spiral through her body when Emma placed that kiss against her wrist.

"You smell amazing," Emma commented, placing their hands back on her leg and returning her attention back to driving.

"Really…" Regina said absently; her minding quickly travelling back to some of her and Emma's previous lovemaking.

Emma side glanced at Regina and laughed. "You know how good you smell, Regina."

Regina blushed. Knowing that she and Emma were heading down a slippery slope and decided to change the subject. "How is work going for you?"

Emma turned her head, to quickly look at her girlfriend. She didn't know that Regina actually gave a damn about how her work was going. "Really well. In the coming weeks, I'll probably apply for a programmer's position. My boss thinks I'll get it."

"Congratulations," Regina was genuinely happy. "You've always been so intelligent…"

"I've never heard that before…" Emma said truly shocked that Regina found her intelligent.

"I've always told you how intelligent you are…" Regina said thinking back. Or maybe she hadn't. "And if I haven't…I always assumed you knew…"

Emma only smiled. "You have to say these things, Regina Mills," she teased lightly.

Regina squeezed her hand. "I'll try to remember that," she promised. They bantered back and forth until the navigation told Emma to turn onto a perfectly paved road, leading to an open gate and back nearly half a mile from the gate opening, a sprawling brick home, three attached garages and an enclosed sunroom. Emma followed the circular driveway and parked directly in front of the stairs leading to the porch.

"Wow…"

"Do you like it?" Regina's voice trembled a bit.

Emma cut off the Jeep and stared at Regina. "Are you serious?" she questioned with disbelief. "It's beautiful, baby."

Regina released Emma's hand and then her seatbelt. Getting out of the car, she waited for Emma to follow her and then led her to the boldly painted red front door. She stepped back and handed Emma the key to the front door.

It was easy to say that the house did not disappoint, but nothing ever would disappoint that was connected to Regina Mills. The house had five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a completely remodeled kitchen, restored original wood floors and a dining room that actually made Emma understand why people enjoyed having large gatherings in their homes. Once Regina had given her the grand tour, she had run back outside to get their overnight bags and put them in the master bedroom. She found Regina in the kitchen.

"This place is spotless," Emma said wrapping her arms around Regina from behind. Regina was looking through the large fridge against the kitchen's backwall.

Regina leaned back and kissed Emma's cheek. "I have someone who comes in twice a week," she said. "I requested they stock the fridge fully, but I don't see any beer for you."

"That's fine," Emma said placing a gentle kiss on Regina's neck. "I can drink wine…or I don't have to drink at all…"

Regina turned and searched Emma's blue eyes. "I'll drive into town later and get you some beer…"

Emma kissed Regina before she could finish the sentence. Running her tongue across Regina's lower lip, she found the taste she wanted and sighed against Regina's mouth. "You feel so good," she admitted unabashedly. She opened her eyes, to find Regina's closed; somewhat of an anomaly for Regina Mills. She never let go…rarely let go, but she felt safe with Emma, enough to let go of her control mechanism. Emma pounced on the opportunity to have Regina's defenses down and continued to kiss her softly. She backed Regina against the counter and her hands found themselves unbuttoning the woman's white top.

"Emma…" she could hear Regina moan. "Emma…"

Emma paused long enough to step back and stop her hands. "What, baby?"

"What are we doing?"

"If you have to ask, I'm obviously not doing it right," Emma grimaced.

"I didn't mean that, sweetheart," Regina shook her head. She looked down, seeing her black lace bra exposed through her white shirt. "I mean…I thought I'd make dinner, we'd take a nice bath …something like that…"

"So, you don't wanna do this?"

"A couple of days ago, you didn't want to do this," Regina countered. It sounded harsh and the fact that Emma recoiled told Regina that her words weren't taken the way she meant them. "Emma," she said pulling Emma closer, "I just mean…I thought you wanted to take this slowly…"

"Seeing your breasts isn't going quickly," Emma countered, pouting.

Regina decided not to argue. "Okay," she agreed, taking Emma's hand and leading her to the master bedroom on the second floor. The sun was just beginning to set across the crisp bedding covering the king-sized bed, and Regina sat on the edge of bed that took up a good portion of the room.

The change of venue seemed to cause some anxiety in Emma, and she took a moment before coming fully into the room.

"What's wrong?" Regina asked carefully.

"Nothing," Emma shook her head, entering the bedroom and pulling off her shoes.

"You look like someone stole your lunch money, Emma. Just tell me what's wrong. What is it about a bedroom that shuts down you wanting to ravish me?" Regina asked bluntly.

"Nothing," Emma repeated, less wholeheartedly this time.

"Okay," Regina said standing up, her heels still on, burying into the rug covering the hardwood floors of the bedroom. "Come here…" Emma hesitated long enough for Regina to sigh. "We don't have to push this, Emma."

"We weren't pushing it," Emma gritted out. "We were doing just fine downstairs."

"So, what…we're always going to make love in the kitchen, or on a couch, or in cars…never in our bedroom? And what, am I never going to touch you…taste you? Emma, I want you so badly, but I want all of you. Not you going down on me or …"

Emma came over to the bed and sat down. "I want you so badly, Regina. I just don't feel …comfortable…with myself. Not with you though…"

"What do you mean?" Regina asked, sitting beside her girlfriend. She moved Emma's blonde locks from her neck and kissed her there softly.

"I don't know…" it was hard to explain. "It's like…I don't know. I feel unworthy…"

"Unworthy?" Regina's eyebrows furrowed. "Unworthy of what, Emma? Of me? Besides wanting a child with you, you are the only thing I've ever wanted in life. Not a house, or a car, or anything…I've only wanted you, Emma…. how is that unworthy?"

"Do you remember when you came to Florida…the second time, I think. Henry and I stayed in your hotel suite. I spent the night, when I should have gone home…I woke up early and left Henry with you…" Emma said quickly. She hated recounting this, but Regina needed to understand. "I went back to that small hotel room and Killian was there." She felt Regina stiffen, but she had to continue. "He was there and hurt, because I hadn't come home. He figured…he knew he was losing me and that frightened him. He wanted to know that I was his…that he still 'owned' me so, he fucked me. Not aggressively or painfully…but I just let it happen. I've felt so stupid and dirty since then…how can I make love to you when…"

"Emma," Regina said softly. The thought of Killian Jones making love to Emma turned her stomach, but the fear of the admission that she heard in Emma's voice, broke her heart.

"I knew that weekend that I was still in love with you and I still fucked him…" Regina folded her arms tightly, still Emma continued. "I wanted to make him happy…or get him to leave me alone, or…"

"It doesn't matter," Regina swallowed thickly, trying to choke down her emotion. The topic of Killian Jones always boiled her blood, but thinking of him inside of Emma! She knew, theoretically that they had fucked, or screwed, or perhaps even made love during their relationship, but to hear Emma talk about it unraveled her. Still, she had to move pass her disgust and anger, and assure Emma that there was no one else in the world she would rather be with right now. "I hate that you feel like you can't be with me now, in that way. I love you and I love your body and nothing is ever going to change that. Not Killian Jones or anything that happened in the last four years."

"You love me?" Emma's head jerked to face her girlfriend.

"Huh?" Regina questioned now, obviously confused.

"You said you love me…you've haven't said that in over four years…"

"You know I love you, Emma," Regina said looking down at her lap. "I never stopped."

Emma placed her finger under Regina's chin and drew her girlfriend's attention to her. "You have to say those things," she said softly.

"I'm sorry," Regina said humbly. "I thought you knew…it's been so obvious. There is nothing I love more in this world than Henry and you, Emma. And I love you, Emma. Deeply."

"And Killian…"

"Doesn't matter…even though I never really want to think of him as an actual person…"

"We don't have to talk about him…" Emma smiled a little. When the silence engulfed them, she laughed a bit. "Tell me you love me again…"

"Emma Swan…" Regina warned teasingly.

"Tell me again, Regina," she pouted a bit.

Regina kissed her with a soft possessiveness that conveyed love. "I love you, Emma Swan. I'll always love you, no matter what. No matter how angry or distant I become…I'll always love you. Just remember that, okay?"

Emma nodded her understanding, leaning into Regina instinctively. "I will. Regina," Emma said after a moment. Regina looked over at her, smiling that soft tender smile that made Emma believe everything would always be fine between them, "I'm kinda starving. Let me make you dinner…"

"You're going to make dinner?" Regina seemed skeptical.

Emma shoved her playfully. "I can cook…"

"I know that…I just," Regina couldn't help laughing. "I mean…the fridge is fully stocked. Steaks, chicken, lamb…"

"All of that for three days?"

"I like to be prepared."

"Of course, you do," Emma laughed. "Will you unpack for us both and I'll cook dinner?" she offered up a compromise. Regina kissed her quickly and nodded her agreement. "I'll call Mal too…to check on Henry."

As Emma stood to leave the room, she stopped and looked back at her girlfriend. "Tell me again," she requested softly.

"I love you, Emma Swan," she said delicately, as if the words would melt against her mouth.

"I love you too, Regina…"

* * *

"You're being quiet…that's not you, Mal." Ursula's voice was as smooth as if it was riffing over a melody; which only made Mal more frustrated with this situation. She loved her wife's voice; loved how soothing and melodic it always sounded to her ears. She loved the way Ursula made love to her, how she took control or submitted to her. She loved everything about Ursula, and Mal felt that her wife was slipping away. Ursula's record label was beginning to get major traction and that meant that Ursula would be doing more "touring" and being away from home. "Mal…"

Mal looked back at the screen; at her wife looking beautiful in a silk teddy that pushed her already ample bosom higher. She was laying across a king-sized hotel bed and waiting for her wife to actually focus some attention on her. "I'm sorry…what were we talking about?"

"Nothing you are interested in," Ursula said sulking. She sat upright, and adjusted the tablet. "Maybe I should just get some sleep. Saturdays are always jammed packed with promotional stuff…"

"I love you so much, baby," Mal confessed breathlessly. "It's killing me being away from you."

"It's not easy for me either, Mal. You don't think I would rather be at home under you than making a FaceTime sex date? But it's only a month to go and then…"

"I know…Fuck! I'm being selfish, but…neither one of us is used to this."

"That's true."

"Why don't I fly out? Meet you in LA or …Miami, St. Louis…somewhere? The girls will be in camps in two weeks…I will come; make you come," Mal finally laughed and watched as Ursula smiled at the sound. "I love you so fucking much…it kills me."

"Ditto. Come and meet me whenever you want to. I talked to Sierra earlier…she's already packed and ready to go to Rice and Lily called to ask me if she could go to Australia after her two summer classes…"

"Why didn't she just ask me?" Mal broke in.

"You know why…" Ursula laughed. "You tend to say no to all International affairs that the entire family doesn't go on together. Remember, you had a fit when she went to Canada…even worse with Mexico…"

"Okay…okay…" Mal didn't fight the truth. She was severely overprotective of her daughters, and she had every right to be. They and Ursula were her life and she intended on protecting that. "Australia..."

"Just say 'yes' and buy the ticket. She's twenty-three and only has one more semester of law school."

"I know…I know. But just a couple of years ago, she was our thirteen-old playing soccer and carrying her little sisters on her back."

"Speaking of her little sisters…where is her youngest sister? I called Crimson, but she didn't answer. She texted me but…"

"She's busy with Henry. He's enamored with her and she's really good with him. They all went to the mall earlier and then Crimson and Henry hung out on the rooftop. I just finished talking to Regina; calmed her nerves a bit about leaving her son for the first time with 'strangers,'" Mal laughed. "Henry was knocked out by eight…Crimson shortly after, I guess."

"You have things under control."

"I'm coming apart without you."

"Lack of sex?" Ursula suggested.

"Lack of you," Mal corrected her. "Two weeks?"

"Yeah…we'll be New Orleans the first part of that week. We'll spend some time on Bourbon Street, making love against the drum beat of the music… Two weeks…" she choked. For the first time, her emotions betrayed her. She hadn't wanted to let on how much she missed her wife, but it was impossible not to when they spoke. "I miss you too, Mal. This is the longest time we've spent away from one another in a long time. Since we first starting see each other and you convinced me to move to New York with you."

"Your father was so pissed," Mal remembered the event fondly. "Packing up two little girls and moving with me on a hunch…he was not very happy about that…but who could blame him? You didn't have to do it…you didn't have to trust me like that." She watched as her wife smiled and it crumbled her resolve. "Listen…I can't talk to you much longer tonight…I miss you too much. I'm just want to close my eyes and wish away four weeks…"

"I won't hold you," Ursula agreed. "It's not doing anything for my resolve seeing you and talking to you tonight either. I'll call you tomorrow morning, before sound stage… I love you."

"Bye, baby," Mal sighed and ended the call. She rose from the bed, found her robe and wrapped herself up tightly. It was just after midnight and everything was quiet in the house as she walked through. She made her way to the kitchen and pulled out an already opened bottle of wine. Pouring a glass, she sat at one of the barstools at the large center island.

"Mom," she heard barely above a whisper. She turned to see Crimson standing on the other side of the room, just watching her.

"Hey…what are you still doing awake?"

Crimson put her thumb in her mouth and chewed on her nail absently; something Mal hadn't seen her do in ages. "Nothing…just couldn't sleep."

"Not used to sharing your room?" Mal asked, beckoning her daughter over. Crimson took a few measured steps over, but stopped halfway in the room. "Henry's asleep though, right?"

"On the top bunk," Crimson explained. She had a full bed, with a top bunk over top of it and Henry had gladly climbed in the top bunk and immediately fell asleep.

"If it's bothering you to share a room, take Sierra's room tomorrow night. She'll be at a friend's house..."

"No, I just can't sleep," Crimson shrugged. "Henry's great. He's a great kid…"

"A kid, huh?" Mal laughed.

"I'm not four," Crimson protested. She knew where her mother was going with this. She made her way over and leaned against her mom's seat. "I kept having nightmares…"

Mal looked at her daughter thoughtfully. Crimson, unlike her sisters, repressed a lot and it ended up effecting her sleep. "What's bothering you, sweetheart?" Mal asked knowingly.

"Nothing," Crimson couldn't think of one thing really.

"Summer camp?" Mal questioned. Although both of girls had been to academic summer camps before, Crimson had never stayed on campus at one.

"It's just two weeks, Mom. I can handle two weeks," she leaned her head against Mal's shoulder.

"Seeing your father?" Mal swallowed hard.

"It'll only be a couple of hours a month from now," Crimson rolled her eyes. "And I'm still planning to get out of that," the girl admitted.

"Well, at least you are honest. What is it then, baby? Mommy said she called earlier and you didn't answer. You missing her?"

"Maybe," Crimson said softly. "But you're here and Mama will be back in no time. Most of the time, I'll be at camp anyways. Maybe I'm worried about you being here alone."

"I can keep myself busy," Mal kissed her daughter's cheek. "I'm sadly not sleepy…why don't we pop some popcorn and watch a movie? I mean, if you aren't sleepy…"

A small smile broke out on Crimson's face. "I'm not sleepy. Let me go back up and check on Henry…"

"Okay, meet me in my room," Mal offered. "I'll pop some popcorn and be right up and we'll choose something."

"Cool," Crimson quickly disappeared and Mal popped a bag of popcorn. She made it to her room with the snack and clicked on the television. Her room was warmer than anywhere else in the house, so she shed her silk robe, opting to just leave on her silk shorts and tank top. "Mom, it's boiling in here," Crimson commented when she made it to her mom's room. She had her long pajama pants and a tee shirt that Lily had brought her from NYU.

"Adjust the thermostat then, sweetheart," Mal laughed. Crimson did and then climbed into bed with her mom. "What are we watching?"

"Your pick…"

"Something scary!" Crimson said eagerly.

"You just said you were having nightmares," Mal reminded her youngest daughter.

"Not about anything scary," Crimson tried to explain. She settled on a comedy, but seemed to fret through most of the movie. "Mom…can I ask you a question?"

"Anything," Mal agreed easily.

"What if I don't like sex?" she asked quietly. It was uncommon that any fourteen-year-old wanted to talk to her mother about sex, but Mal was a bit different. She and Ursula had always been open with that daughters about sex and it had resulted in the girls being fairly open with them when it came to questions and concerns. Sierra had talked to her moms about wanting birth control, and Lily had come to them when she became sexually active, but Mal had never really thought of a question like this.

"What do you mean, sweetheart?" Mal asked carefully. She had a real fear that her fourteen-year old had tried something or done something that had scared her away from sex and that bothered her two-folds. "Have you tried something you didn't enjoy?"

"No," Crimson said quickly, shaking her head. "I haven't tried anything…ever! I mean, I've kissed boys…but not anything else."

Mal hated the fact that she felt instantly relieved. "You didn't enjoy that?"

"I didn't care either way," she said honestly. "I just hate how men look at me…it makes me wanna crawl out of skin sometimes. I mean like Lily and Sierra like the attention and …I don't know…I guess…am I just weird?" the girl asked, her knees pulled to her chest, tears brimming in her eyes.

"No!" Mal said firmly. "Crimson, we've never been secretive about the company I run; the industry I work in," Mal began. Crimson offered a small smile and shook her head, 'no.' "Well, if I learn anything about sex, it's that you like what you like and you are comfortable with what you are comfortable with and that's nothing to be ashamed of. As long as you aren't hurting anyone else…what you enjoy sexually is your business…"

"But what if I don't enjoy anything sexually?"

"Well, I'm not dismissing what you are saying, but fourteen is early to make any concrete decision on what you like. You may like kissing girls or you may not like kissing anyone. And it's all fine…but what's not fine is if someone is making you feel uncomfortable. That's unacceptable, Crimson. No one is allowed to make you feel any way you don't want to feel and no one allowed to make you do anything you don't want to do…always remember that. But you are not weird, baby," Mal said lovingly.

Crimson was quiet for a long time, digesting her mother's words. She thought about telling Mal about the mall incident, but didn't have the courage enough to vocalize the words. "I'm getting sleepy, Mom, and I should sleep in my room. I don't want Henry waking up alone…"

Mal smiled at her daughter's thoughtfulness, and figured she must be a better parent than she figured to raise three exceptional humans like Lily, Sierra and Crimson. She stroked her daughter's braids. "Thanks for talking to me, sweetheart. I was missing your mom a lot today and watching a movie with you helped that. You are a such a good kid, Crimson."

"You only say that because I'm your baby," Crimson challenged with a smile. "And I'm the cutest," she added.

"Well take your cute ass to bed," Mal laughed. "And tomorrow morning, we'll make Henry pancakes and take him to the club."

Crimson stopped at the door. "Mom…I love you…I know it's not cool to say…but I do."

"I won't tell a soul," Mal grinned broadly. "And I love you too… get some rest. We have a long, fun weekend planned."

* * *

Saturday

There is something different about mornings that aren't rushed. Regina had been patiently trying to deny that notion since six that morning, but now, as the sun began to intrude on their little heaven, Regina had a terrible time denying the fact. Emma had been breathing heavily now for about fifteen minutes, tossing and turning in fits of frustration. She wondered if Emma was frustrated in the same way she was frustrated. That if the thought of kissing alone would send her over the edge, because that's how Regina felt right now.

Last night had gone too well…Emma had cooked dinner; a roasted chicken recipe that she had seemed to memorize for this occasion alone. She had paired it with farm fresh green beans and purple potatoes. Regina was impressed, clearly so. She had a hard time taking her eyes off of Emma the entire evening; from dinner to after dinner drinks, her eyes stayed glued to the woman she loved. It was Emma who suggested a cool bath in the master bedroom's clawfoot tub, and later the nude sleeping arrangement. Still, when they lay against the tan linen sheets in the king-sized bed, Emma couldn't bring herself to do more than kiss Regina passionately. In the back of her brain, Regina knew this had nothing to do with her, or the passion that Emma had for her, but it stung a bit. She had fallen asleep in Emma's arms, and woke less than three hours later still there. Against her nude body, wishing desperately to do more than kiss her girlfriend's lips and rest her head against her beautiful breasts.

Regina had disentangled herself softly, careful not to wake Emma, who snored softly. She checked her emails out of habit; one was worrying, about the Canadian deal that she hoped to close soon, but other than that, nothing special. She texted Mal, then Crimson about Henry, but since it was just after six, she expected no answer. She tied a robe against her taunt body and made her way downstairs, making a pot of drip coffee and then headed back upstairs and sat in one of the chairs on the parameter of her bedroom. She was almost finished with her cup by the time Emma finally turned over and found her missing.

Emma rubbed her eyes with distress and finally opened them. "Regina," her voice called out instinctively. "Gina," her voice was heavy and a bit frightened, as if Regina would ever leave her again. "Regina…"

"I'm here, baby," Regina said stoically, watching the miracle of Emma's subtle alertness.

"It's too early to be nine," Emma moaned, quoting their previous promise. "Come back to bed…" she beckoned, and smiled when Regina placed her coffee cup on the nightstand and climbed back into bed. The silk robe did little to conceal the swell of her breasts, and even less to remove Emma's gaze from the soft tan thigh that screamed to her. "You said until nine," Emma's breath was warmed with sleep as she snuggled against Regina.

"I tried," Regina promised, smiling at the feel of Emma's lips against her collarbone. "It's not my style to stay in bed…"

"You should have woke me…" Emma protested.

"I would have wanted to wake you with an orgasm…you coming on my tongue…me sucking your clit into my mouth…" Regina felt Emma squirm.

"You aren't playing fair," Emma warned.

"I know," Regina admitted. "Before you, eating pussy always felt obligatory…like something I had to do in fairness…but the first time I tasted you, Emma. The first time I slide my tongue into you…I actually understood what it meant to enjoy giving pleasure." When Emma was too stunned to speak, Regina continued. "I read an article one time that said no matter what, once a person falls asleep, all her blood pools in her genital area. It's not a sexual thing…but all I could think about was how soft and wet you were in the mornings, and when my tongue slipped into your pussy, how warm it was…" Regina sighed. "I miss that, Emma…I miss you…"

Emma's blue eyes narrowed, remembering what it felt like to have Regina's tongue in her pussy. "I enjoyed that too," she sighed, opening her legs slowly. Her naked body, with its unintentionally rising temperature, clung to the sheets for safety. She watched as Regina hoovered over her; her silk grey and red robe covering her nakedness. Regina settled between her legs and kissed her lips slowly, the warm surrender of sleep a distant memory now.

"I love you, Emma," Regina murmured between kisses. "With all my heart," she admitted slowly, tongue kissing her claim. Her focus fell silently to Emma's pink taunt breasts, the perfect globes that were awaken by arousal, that now Regina tongued roughly. She couldn't contain her need or want from Emma, but she tried to slow herself. "I need you, Emma," her voice was rough, as if unused for days. "I won't do anything you don't want to do…" she croaked, "But…"

"I want you," Emma said slowly, as if her voice may betray her. "I trust you…" her blue eyes finally contacted with Regina, as she felt her girlfriend slowly finger her wetness.

Regina gritted down on her teeth, feeling the knot of rejection in her stomach dissipate slowly. She kissed Emma rougher than she meant to; slide two fingers in her quicker than she meant to, but Emma met her every thrust; tongue and fingers, and Regina settled into a rhythm. "Jesus," Regina pulled back. "Dammit…you are everything I remembered," she pressed against Emma's ear as the younger woman opened wider. "Why are you this wet, baby," Regina asked rhetorically. "Have you been waiting for me…all these years," Regina questioned. She realized that the memory of what she and Emma had shared was just as erotic as what was happening now, but she couldn't separate the thoughts. She remembered entering Emma from every position imaginable; remembered Emma calling out her name with bliss over a thousand times in their relationship.

"I've never been this wet before," Emma exhaled. She gasped as Regina moved to her breasts and then lower to her stomach. It was exciting, watching Regina explore lower on her body. A feeling that she couldn't sum up, but she could actually feel the heat emanating from her body. When Regina finally settled between Emma's thighs, Emma found it impossible to keep her breathing even.

"Are you okay?" Regina asked softly. When Emma couldn't answer, Regina pulled back a bit. "Emma…"

"Please don't stop," Emma groaned. Although sex hadn't been pleasurable for her in a long time; the way she felt at this moment was enough for Emma to know that this was all changing. Regina didn't need to be told again. She tongued the lips of Emma's sex until the younger woman shuddered eagerly. Emma was never particularly vocal in bed, something that Regina found hadn't changed as Emma did her best not to make a sound.

"I need to hear you, baby," she prodded before taking Emma's clit into her mouth. Emma squirmed, swallowed any sound she had, but lifted herself off of the bed. She wasn't comfortable having anyone hear her, no matter how wonderful Regina's mouth felt. Regina knew that Emma was quickly reaching her limit; she could literally taste Emma's pending orgasm. She pushed Emma's legs back further, opening the younger woman more to gain access to her engorged clit.

Emma couldn't hold back any longer. "I can't hold back much more," she choked.

"Don't," Regina encouraged before inserting her tongue into Emma's opening. She felt the woman tightening around her and trying to pull away, but Regina held her firmly. Regina felt Emma's body stiffened, followed by a strong gurgle of passion escaping her throat.

"Ahhhhh!" Emma screamed, even though it flushed her with embarrassment as her legs instinctively closed. She heaved, trying to find the rhythm of her breath again, but Regina was already opening her wide again. Regina straddled her, placing her clit above Emma's and rubbing gently. The sensation was too much for Emma and she could feel tears pooling her eyes. She closed them quickly, trying to push away the sensation of another orgasm building quickly. "I …can't…" she tried to express, but her toes were already curling, hurling her into another frenzy of desire. Regina rode her roughly, her sex slick and warm from watching Emma come apart the first time. "I can't …Regina," Emma sighed, her legs going numb with her second orgasm spilling over the edge. This time she literally couldn't take anymore and she cradled Regina as she quickly switched their positions.

With Regina underneath her, displaying that cocky grin of pleasure, Emma could barely contain herself. Her hands immediately went to the sash of the robe, opening it to her gaze. "Jesus," was all she could manage before devouring Regina's swollen breast. She wanted to be rough; feeling selfish for being two orgasms ahead of Regina already.

"Slow down, Emma," Regina said firmly, bringing Emma's full attention to her. They locked eyes, and Emma settled between Regina's legs.

"I want you…."

"You have me," Regina assured her. She kissed her passionately, finding her hands gripping Emma's ass, thrusting the blonde against her. Regina opened her legs wider, loving the feeling of Emma roughly sliding against her clit once again. "I can come like this…" Regina said closing her eyes, letting the friction do its work. "Fuck…" she gritted out. She slid her hand between she and Emma and worried her own clit before turning her attention to Emma's.

"I can't…I can't come again," Emma protested, but couldn't deny how good it felt. Regina took her at her word, but tweaked her breasts. Emma didn't have time to protest again, she felt her body tighten as another orgasm slammed against her stomach. "Shit…" she barely got out before collapsing against Regina. Regina tongued the sweat off of her neck and wrapped her arms and legs around her girlfriend, who didn't have the strength to move.

Emma frowned to herself, her eyes closed, her breath ragged and uneven, she finally disentangled herself from Regina. She lay on her back, looking up at the sun covered ceiling. "I'm sorry…" she apologized earnestly.

Regina moved onto her elbows, her robe open around her. She looked over at Emma, who's entire body was flushed from the passion they shared. "What?" her voice trembled.

"You didn't …finish…" Emma said, finally opening the blue orbs that Regina loved so much.

Regina lay back down and chuckled at the obscurity of the comment. She placed her head on Emma's warm flesh and kissed Emma's collarbone. "That's like saying my coffee is now cold…who gives a damn…"

"I care about you coming…"

"I know you do…you've always been very judicious about making sure I enjoy myself," Regina smiled. "And I did enjoy myself…feeling your pussy tighten against my tongue…it's one of those luxury I had forgotten about until I experienced it again.

"Making me come is a luxury?" Emma now laughed herself.

Regina leaned on her side, tracing gentle circles on Emma's inner thigh. "Yes," she said simply. She kissed Emma slowly, fully, allowing the taste of the woman's orgasm and her own passion to mingle on her lips. What started fairly innocently, devolved quickly into passion and need. "We won't ever leave this bed if we don't stop…" Regina moaned after a few minutes.

"Do we have to leave it?" Emma pulled Regina closer. She kissed her girlfriend's cheek, neck and then found her mouth again.

"I suppose not," Regina said diplomatically. "But eventually we will get hungry, and although I love the smell of sex perfuming the air, I'd love to get into a hot shower…"

"You are always going to be practical, aren't you?" Emma laughed. "My body feels weak…I forgot how great it feels…"

"Sex?"

Emma nodded her answer. "It just feels …"

"You don't have to tell me," Regina assured her. A calm quietness settled between them. "Are you falling back asleep?"

"Thinking," Emma corrected her.

"Don't do that…" Regina requested. "Not this weekend…let's just not think…"

Emma smiled. "Okay," she agreed with her lover. "I should call Henry…see what he's up to this morning."

"Well…while you do that…I'm going to shower and then you can shower and I'll make breakfast…"

"We can't shower together?" Emma pouted.

"How clean would we really get?" Regina questioned.

Nearly two hours later, Emma met Regina downstairs in the kitchen. "You look refreshed," Regina smiled as Emma leaned down to kiss her lips. "How was Henry?"

"As if you haven't called and checked," Emma said pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Fair enough," Regina nodded. She had called Mal, who said that she was taking Henry, Sierra and Crimson to the country club this morning, but both Henry and Crimson were still asleep. "So today…"

"Well, since we are out of bed," Emma sighed, "I was thinking we could take the Jeep out…let the top down…"

"You want to play around with that Jeep?" Regina rolled her eyes playfully.

"We could explore somewhere remote…maybe pack a picnic…it could be very fun…"

"How so?" Regina teased.

"Come on, Regina, be easy," Emma laughed. "I'm sure someone in town can pack us a lunch."

"There is somewhere called Granny's Diner, but I'm almost sure she hates me…"

"How can someone hate you? You barely come here," Emma frowned quickly.

"I was an outsider that came in and purchased one of the best homes in the area…at a real discount. Not to mention the two cars that came with the estate," Regina finished her coffee and pushed her mug aside. She leaned back and crossed her smooth legs, which were barely covered with a pair of black linen shorts.

"Cars?" Emma's interest was immediately piqued. "What type of cars?"

"Oh…now you want to know about my cars?" Regina challenged playfully. She pointed to the door leading to the garage.

Emma quickly moved to the door and entered the garage. Two cars sat in the garage, covered with tan tarp, that Emma pulled carefully. "What the fuck," her mouth nearly unhinged from her jaw. "Regina…" she stammered, turning to go back inside, but Regina was standing at the door.

"I had them sent off to be restored and then returned here. There was really no place or use for them in DC…"

"Matching '69 Jag," Emma sputtered. "This came with the house?" Regina only shrugged. "We are taking a Jag today!" Emma jumped with obvious joy. "A classic Jaguar Roadster! Why did you even rent a car?"

"Because I was pretty sure you'd like the Jeep," Regina laughed, turning around and moving back inside. "But if we must take a Jag…" she could barely finish her words before she was engulfed from behind by Emma.

"I love you so fucking much," Emma declared kissing Regina's neck. "We are going to have so much fun today!"

Regina turned in her arms. "Really now? A car gets this type of reaction from you?"

"You get this type of reaction from me," Emma corrected her. She tongue-kissed Regina and sighed with pleasure.

"We'll never get out of here if you continue to kiss me that way," Regina backed up a little. "Let's get shoes on and we'll head to Granny's."

Emma stole another kiss, found her shoes and met Regina beside the Jag. As she took the keys, Emma confessed again. "I really do love you so much…"

"That's the love of the Jag talking," Regina said settling into the passenger side. She pulled her sunglass from her bag, placed them over her eyes and sat back, waiting to follow wherever Emma led.

* * *

They stopped at Granny's and although the older woman was brisk with Regina, she seemed to take to Emma quite easily. She made fried chicken, potato salad, fruit salad, chocolate chip cookies and homemade lemonade for their picnic. And then, Granny suggested they drive up the coast, to a place called Campground Park, that Emma easily found.

"It's beautiful here," Emma noted after she and Regina had finished lunch. They were sitting on a large rock, one that Emma assumed that Regina would be completely uncomfortable on, but Regina looked peaceful. The water in front of them was calm, and a few families peppered the park. "Henry's going to love it here," Emma said, resting her chin on her fists. "I always wanted him to have a place where he could play outside…like he does now…"

"Just greener and nature-y?" Regina added. "We can come up here during the summer…winters when it's blistering cold. I can't wait to see him in winter clothes. Bubble coats and hats and snow boots," Regina said as if they were magically. She frowned, which Emma noticed.

"What's the matter?"

"It's going to rain, baby," Regina noted.

Emma looked from Regina, up to the sky that was now graying, and back at Regina. "No…we'll be fine. I wanted to do some exploring…"

"You are going to make me walk, aren't you?" Regina frowned.

"Not far, but yes," Emma rose and offered her hand to Regina. Regina stood, threaded her fingers with Emma's, but complained as they headed off. "So, this morning…" Emma began.

"There are no words for this morning," Regina giggled.

"Did you just giggle?" Emma asked with utter amazement.

"No…I do not giggle…"

"I heard it. Regina Mills, an actual giggle! Do your friends know you giggle? Oh my gosh, doesn't Kathryn or Mal, for that matter."

"I do not giggle," Regina denied. She playfully pushed Emma away, but was pulled back against her girlfriend for a quick kiss. The kiss would have morphed into more if not for the fact that Regina felt the early signs of rain on her bare arms. "Emma!" she complained immediately, but the younger woman was already pulling her towards the car. They made it into the Jag and raised the roof before the rain began to steadily fall.

"We almost ruined the interior of this baby," Emma petted the car lovingly.

"We almost ruined my clothes and hair," Regina redirected.

Emma looked at her with disbelief before quaking with laughter. She started the car and headed back down the coast, her hand firmly on Regina's thigh. "It looks like the rain is getting worse as we head down," Regina sighed. She didn't trust the little sports car on the curves winding down the coast and she tensed a bit.

"You don't trust me to handle this baby?" Emma asked squeezing Regina's knee.

Regina hand fell over Emma's. "It's just …these tires and the road being freshly wet…" Regina's breath caught as the car slid a bit.

Emma understood what she meant. There was a pull off up ahead, a tiny overlook against the gray sky and Emma navigated the car there. "We can stay here until it slows down some," she offered, killing the engine.

"Well, that could be a very long time," Regina mused. She leaned over and turned Emma's head towards her. She found Emma's blue eyes and grinned. "God, you are gorgeous," she stated. Outlining Emma's bottom lip with her tongue, Regina began a slow assault on Emma's sense that could only lead to more. Before she could wrangle her own desire, Emma was letting her seat back and pulling Regina across the center console. Once Regina straddled her, Emma made quick work of removing Regina's shirt and bra. She lavished Regina's breasts with kisses before concentrating full on the right nipple. Hearing Regina moan her pleasure only made Emma more aggressive.

"Do you like that baby?" Emma asked, looking up into Regina's brown orbs. They were drowned with desire and Emma didn't need an actual answer. "I missed my opportunity this morning…"

"For what?" Regina's chest heaved under the Emma's touch.

"To hear you scream my name," Emma explained, unbuttoning Regina's pants. Her hand slipped pass Regina's lace panties and found her warm and hard. The atmosphere transported Emma somewhere else; to a different time when she used to take Regina any and everywhere. Two of her fingers found Regina's opening and Regina pressed their bodies closer together as she rode Emma's fingers.

"It feels so good," Regina's voice rained hot against Emma's ear. "I want more," she challenged, and licked Emma's earlobe when the woman added another finger. "You make me so wet, sweetheart. Emma realized it was the truth, she could barely keep her fingers inside Regina's wetness. Emma found a way to use her thumb to worry the hard numb that made Regina tremble with pleasure. "Emma," Regina said wrapping her arms against Emma's neck. "I can't hold on…"

"Don't!" Emma pushed harder. "Don't," she licked and then bit down on the tan skin of Regina's neck.

Regina couldn't take the roughness and came apart immediately against Emma. Her body felt like it lost all its bones and Regina collapsed against her lover. Emma held her tightly, just listening to the pelting of the rain against the classic car.

"No one ever makes me feel this good," Regina said finally pulling back and looking at Emma.

Some insecurity peppered her voice as Emma questioned, "Were there many more… the years we were apart?"

Regina pulled herself back to the passenger seat, pulling on her shirt but forgoing the bra. "Not seriously…" was all she offered.

"But you had other women?"

"I wasn't celibate for those years, Emma…"

"I know…it just…I can't help but be jealous when I think of another woman in bed with you."

"There won't be any other women in bed with me ever again, now will there be?"

Emma shook her head fierce, "Never," she vowed seriously. Emma took great pains over the remainder of the weekend proving just that to Regina. She made love to her in every room of the house, cooked dinner on Saturday night, breakfast on Sunday morning and when they finally slowed down enough on Sunday afternoon to share a bath, Emma made a serious confession.

"If you can give me time, Regina," she said, pulling her girlfriend back into her arms, "I swear never to disappoint you again…"

Regina turned in Emma's arms to search her face. "I trust you completely," Regina committed. And honestly, she did. Emma had made some mistakes, but she was trying hard and more than anything, she had kept her promise to allow Regina to be a parent to their son. After this weekend, Regina was positive they would make it and nothing would stand in their way; no matter how hard someone would try.

* * *

Sunday Night

Lily knocked on her mother's closed office door and waited for the okay to enter. She and her mother weren't on good terms right now; Mal was still pushing back on her proposed trip to Australia, which Lily knew was just her mother's way of complaining about her not wanting to come work for her immediately. Lily didn't mean any harm, but if she had to choose between which of her mothers' companies to work for, it definitely wasn't going to be the business focused on sex. She had told her mother this numerous time, but Mal seemed impervious to actually hearing it. Now, Lily just tried to avoid the subject all together, but it had come up over the weekend.

"Mom," Lily said, coming into her mother's office.

"Close the door behind you," Mal nearly barked. She heard her daughter sigh, but it didn't cool her mood any. She was frustrated; neither of her older two daughters seemed interested in the empire that she had built. It was heartbreaking; Sierra was wholly uninterested in anything business, but Lily railed against the "pleasure" component of her work. Crimson was the only daughter obviously suited to be her true heir, and that saddened her.

"So, you are going to be pissed at me before I go back to school?" Lily closed the door behind her and made her way to the leather chair in front of her mom's desk. When Mal didn't answer, Lily bit down on her lower lip. "Look, I just wanted to talk to you about Crimson. On Friday…"

"Crimson talked to me Friday night," Mal cut her daughter off. "Is that all you want to speak about?" Mal challenged.

Lily stood. "I have to get ready to leave in the morning," Lily nodded, not willing to fight with her mother tonight. She couldn't leave the office quickly enough and she was relieved that she didn't have to tell her mother that some psycho had bothered her little sister in the mall. It was all too bad that Crimson hadn't actually told her mother about the incident either…

 **A/N: Hey everyone! I putting the author's note at the end of the chapter because I wanted everyone to enjoy this really nice, normal relationship building chapter...because things may get a little bumpy after this :) Anyways, I need to hear from you guys! I mean, I would like to explore some more of Mal and Ursula's relationship, because they will be important in the future, but if you guys aren't feeling that, I can leave their story a little less fleshed out. Either way, let me know what you guys are thinking, love comments, reviews, questions...I love it all!**


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